Life and Death
by milesprower06
Summary: Three months after their lives changed, Takato and Renamon must overcome their differences, face their fears, and fight their greatest battle yet.
1. Prologue

LIFE AND DEATH

By milesprower06

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

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A/N- Alright, before we get started, I have to mention that while I was writing Loss and Gain, I had not re-watched Season 3 as of the time that I posted it, and was simply working off my memory, a rather stupid mistake. Now that I have watched it again, I remember how a lot of the characters were, and that, if I correctly recalled what had happened in the series, the Tamers could have very well Biomerged during the battle in the tomb. But if they did, Loss and Gain would have no plot, and this sequel wouldn't have been written either. That's the beauty of fan fics – sometimes you can steer away a bit from the source material and take it in your own direction – I was lucky enough to get away with it this time. Now, I really must mention some people that pushed me to start, continue, and ultimately finish this sequel.

First off, I have to thank users gfifus, Flaming Gogglehead, and E.S. Simeon. The first three reviews of Loss and Gain by these users were what really drove me to start working on a sequel. Thanks, guys.

Secondly, my biggest thanks go out to crazyeight, whose beta read of the first two-thirds of this fic and advice afterwards helped me, beyond words, to turn this into SO much more than it was. Crazyeight, I've become a better author thanks to you, and yes, you still make me look bad.

Enjoy!

P.S. – In case the first paragraph didn't give ya enough hints, this is a sequel to my first story, Loss and Gain. If you haven't read it, please go do so before you read this one, as I certainly don't want you to get lost and confused.

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Prologue

MATSUKI BAKERY / RESIDENCE

SHINJUKU, TOKYO

7 DAYS AFTER MEMORIAL

Renamon opened her eyes once again, finding herself right where she was just minutes ago; kneeling in the front corner of Takato's room. She glanced at the digital clock on the desk – 2:34 AM. It had been a long night for her so far. Although sleep was not something she needed a lot of, she had found it rather difficult to rest her mind tonight. She glanced up at the bed in the back of the room. Takato, her Tamer for the last three months, slept, and he appeared peaceful. Renamon knew this was not entirely the case.

Three months had passed since both their lives had changed; his in Egypt, hers days later. A wild signal had come to them, or rather, to Rika. The three remaining Tamers in Shinjuku hired a pilot to fly them out there. The battle had been fierce and brief. The bio-emerged Digimon, BlackWarGreymon; attacked before he was knocked back through the portal, and sadly, destroyed Guilmon before this happened. Takato had not been the same since.

Rika had been the most committed to helping him through his loss. She spent several days with him; even discovering she had feelings for him. Things were starting to look up again, and then…

Renamon had difficulty reflecting on the events that directly affected her. Rika and Takato had entered a small food mart, just a block away from his family's bakery. A robber came into the store, and before Renamon could intervene, Rika was shot in the heart, Takato in the shoulder, and the cashier fatally in the chest as well.

She had been there in her former Tamer's final moments. Rika begged Takato to find a way through the despair that would inevitably follow. He managed to get to his feet and exit the mart, before collapsing just outside. Police questioned Renamon, the only partial witness they had at the time, and concluded that she had acted in the defense of those in the store.

In the days that Takato was in a coma, Renamon had thought long and hard about where to go from there. At first, her thoughts were solely on herself, and Rika; the way their relationship as Tamer and partner had blossomed over the last several months only to have it end like this made her heart ache with grief; but soon, her mind drifted to Takato as well. She was not the only one affected by Rika's death. Without a partner, and without Rika's help, she knew Takato would not fare well against his feelings. She recalled what Jeri had done after the D-Reaper crisis. She felt some sort of…duty…responsibility…to Takato now.

When he arrived home from the hospital, Renamon was hesitant; waiting until the morning he had an appointment with a psychiatrist, when she offered to become his Digimon partner. He just stared, and then left without a word. She knew he was disturbed by what she had said, thinking it was an insult to Rika, and perhaps to Guilmon. Her reasoning was apt; he was still a Digimon Tamer, and she was a Digimon without one. But she knew it ran deeper than that. Deep down, she knew it's what Rika would've truly wanted in this unfortunate case, but she didn't fully understand why she had waited so long before making the offer to Takato, just as she didn't fully understand why he had accepted it later that evening. Perhaps, like her own reasoning, it just seemed right to him.

She was there with him as he grieved for Rika, and continued to do so for Guilmon over the next few months. Eventually, he returned to school, and slowly, began to improve. For the most part, his nightmares got under control, as well. Just one week ago, he took her, Henry, and Terriermon back down to the Egyptian tomb to make a memorial for the two loved ones they had lost. At first, Renamon had thought that was the end, but quickly reconsidered. The road to recovery was a long one.

Yes, Takato had recovered enough to be able to function on a daily basis. But, there was no denying that a part of him had died when he lost Guilmon, and Rika shortly after. Renamon knew he would never be the same. It just wasn't about having another Digimon partner. Along with Rika, Renamon knew no Tamer-Digimon pair closer than Takato and Guilmon. Takato had created Guilmon; he was one-of-a-kind, and she knew she could never replace the goofy red dino. But…that part of Takato that died…Renamon regretted never seeing that part of him again. He used to bring such life to a room with his smile, his personality. 'Gogglehead.' Renamon repressed a smile, recalling Rika's nickname for him. He no longer wore his goggles, not since Guilmon died. Where he had put them, she didn't know. The short-term recovery was done, yes – but the long term…that would probably take years.

Since the bio-emergence in Egypt, all of the other Wild Ones were so weak, Hypnos was taking care of them no problem. And if this was not the case, Renamon had her doubts that Takato had any fight left in him. She knew one couldn't normally resume the Taming 'duties' after going through what Takato had. She had not had the chance to test the theory as of yet, due to the complete lack of bio-emergences.

This led to another question that had the kitsune Digimon puzzled: why had there been no considerable bio-emergences since Egypt? She couldn't help but feel that there was something about that encounter in the tomb. Perhaps they were not done yet…

And if the battle was not over…would Takato be willing to fight…?


	2. Color Scheme

LIFE AND DEATH

By milesprower06

Chapter 1 – Color Scheme

Takato stood on what he believed was solid ground. There was no way to be sure, though; there was nothing but white all around him; an ever-expanding field of nothing. Except for…

A pillar, some 30 feet away – a plain white round pillar, about three-fourths his height. It did not cast a shadow anywhere; where _was_ the light coming from? Gravity felt normal, but he couldn't see the ground. He was standing on nothing. There was no beginning; no end; no horizon – nothing.

Except the pillar.

Since it seemed to be the only thing around, he began walking towards it; slowly at first. Then, he seemed to be drawn to it. It called to him, from deep down. He quickened his pace towards the pillar. Something was resting on the top of it. He began running toward it. As he closed in, he slowed his pace, until he stood directly in front of the chest-high pillar. He looked down at what rested on the top.

It was his D-Arc.

Slowly, he reached for it with his right hand. When his hand was centimeters away, the Digivice's screen lit up. It rose off the pillar ever so slightly, floating above it; until the pillar retracted into the white abyss. Then, as if someone flipped a switch, it went from white to black in an instant. It startled Takato, but he kept his hand where it was, the D-Arc seemed to be…connected to his hand by some invisible force. What Takato found odd however was…it felt so natural. _He_ was keeping the Digivice afloat in midair. He was barely reaching out. He stretched his fingers slightly outward, and the D-Arc moved away from him a few inches. He relaxed them, and it moved closer. He continued this for several minutes.

'Is this…telekinesis?' he wondered. In a sense, yes, but it wasn't his mind, which was puzzled at the moment; it was his hand. He rotated his hand palm side up – the D-Arc angled slightly to the right, the buttons and ring around the screen turning from red to blue.

'What the…'

He turned his hand over again, palm side down. The D-Arc angled back to the left, back to the red ring and buttons. The change was nearly instant, but smooth. He turned his hand over, and over, and over. Red. Blue. Red. Blue. Faster and faster.

Frustration built up. What was the point of this? Faster and faster. His lips trembled. He gritted his teeth. _Red blue red blue red blue._ He was turning his hand so fast it seemed to blur. The D-Arc remained centered – Takato's eyes barely being able to register the changes in the two colors. _Red blue red blue red blue._

He stopped his hand, and clenched it into a fist.

The D-Arc shattered into fragments.

A bright white orb from the inside blinded him – drove the black away. He brought his hand up to shield his eyes; squeezing them closed.

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MATSUKI BAKERY / RESIDENCE

7 DAYS AFTER MEMORIAL

He opened his eyes, and found himself in his bed. He quickly sat up, breathing heavily; the frustration from the dream still evident. He looked at the clock. 6:30 AM.

"Are you alright?" Renamon asked calmly from the corner. "Yeah, I'm fine" Takato said. Renamon got up and walked over to his bed – her sheer height allowing her to look at him without climbing the ladder. "Another nightmare?" she asked him quietly. He slowly shook his head. "No. Just…" he tried to piece the dream together. "Just…weird" he told her.

Even though it was a Saturday, and he was known to sleep in on weekends, he decided to get up for breakfast, and see if eating would help him make any more since of that dream. He got the obvious part – Rika's Digivice was blue, and his was red – the ring around the screen was gold for a time, after he Biomerged with Guilmon for the first time. But after Guilmon died, it went back to the original red ring – he hadn't noticed until days later. He didn't get the significance of it. But this was certainly better than his now-occasional nightmares of reliving the losses three months ago. Now they'd gone from horrific to puzzling, evidently.

Takato went down to the kitchen and decided to make himself some eggs and toast. As he ate, he kept wondering what kind of significance last night's dream had.

'First it was red…then blue. Maybe first Guilmon, then Renamon?' he wondered, although he was not comforted by the thought.

'But then why did it turn back?' he asked himself.

'What other explanation is there? Wait…what color was it when I made a fist and it exploded?' he thought. For the life of him, he couldn't remember. He was turning his hand so fast…

He continued eating his breakfast. Then, he walked back up to his room. He picked up his D-Arc from his desk. He shifted it in his hand. It stayed red. He set it back down, and moved his hand centimeters away from it. He tried to recreate that invisible force he had in his dream. He remembered how natural the telekinesis felt, but outside of his dreams, it was not possible. Physics applied here, after all. He shrugged it off. He figured it was not the so-called telekinesis, but the changing color of the D-Arc that mattered, and what color it may have been when it shattered.

His cell phone on the desk began ringing. Hypnos had supplied the Tamers with cell phones for an obvious reason – being able to reach the Tamers more easily. He picked it up and looked at the caller ID.

HYPNOS – Yamaki

Takato stared at it for a moment. This could only mean one thing – finally, a bio-emergence. After all this time. But then why hadn't his D-Arc picked it up first? He pressed the TALK button, and held it up to his head.

"Yamaki?" he asked.

"Takato. It's been awhile. How've you been?" the Hypnos director asked.

"Well enough" he replied.

"I wasn't sure about calling you, but I felt you should know if you want." he said. "What's this about?" Takato asked. It took Yamaki a few seconds to reply to Takato's question.

"Egypt. I don't want to say anymore over the phone. I'd rather talk in person. If you'd like, I could have you picked up and brought over to the towers." he said. Takato was silent for several moments. He wasn't sure if he wanted to hear what Yamaki had to say, but he'd go along for now.

"I'll walk. I could use the fresh air." Takato said.

"Suit yourself. I'll see you soon" Yamaki said.

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Renamon kept pace behind Takato as he walked through downtown Shinjuku towards the Hypnos Towers. She had heard Yamaki's voice on the other end of the call he got this morning. She doubted it was a bio-emergence – they wouldn't have been called down to Hypnos for that. But then what did Yamaki want with Takato? Henry was the usual connection between the Tamers and Hypnos. Something was happening…or they wanted to make something happen.

The two of them arrived at the Hypnos Towers, where they went through several checkpoints, and eventually found themselves in Yamaki's office. The head of Hypnos was sitting at his desk, looking out the gigantic window that gave a magnificent view of Shinjuku. He flipped his lighter open and closed; his usual habit. He swiveled his chair around, flipping his lighter closed again.

"Takato, thanks for coming" he said. Takato gave him a slight nod, and took a seat in front of the oak desk, and Renamon simply stood behind him.

"I'm sure you've noticed the lack of bio-emergences over the past few months" Yamaki began.

"To be honest, I…haven't really noticed. Dealing with Wild Ones hasn't exactly been on the top of my list lately" Takato replied.

"Which is why I was hesitant to call you. If you aren't up to revisiting those events three months ago, you're free to go. But I feel I need to ask, just in case - are you willing to listen to what I have to say? Are you willing to think back?" the Hypnos director asked, removing his sunglasses, looking the Tamer directly in the eyes.

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Renamon stood behind Takato. So that was it. There was something that happened in that tomb that had to do with the lack of bio-emergences, either that or Hypnos wanted to be sure that it wasn't. Was Takato up to searching for answers? So soon after it happened? She remembered how he was just after they had become partners. Was it worth the risk of him reverting back to how he was three months ago?

Takato was silent for several moments, and then nodded.

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A/N- Well, there are the first two. R&R! I may tweak future chapters around what you fine people think of what I've posted so far!


	3. Return

LIFE AND DEATH

By milesprower06

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MP06- Wow, uh...5 reviews within the first 24 hours. Hehehehe. YAY!

Renamon- (Backhands MP06 on the head.) Get a hold of yourself.

MP06- Hey, watch it. I haven't posted this chapter yet. Oh, wait, I have. Hehe. On with it, then!

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Chapter 2 – Return

HYPNOS TOWERS

SHINJUKU, TOKYO

7 DAYS AFTER MEMORIAL

Yamaki admired the boy's courage. To lose someone so close, and then right after, lose the one who was helping you through that loss…it certainly wasn't going to be easy to go back there. Perhaps Takato was banking on what he had to say was worth doing so. He cleared his throat.

"According to Henry Wong's report, you were unable to destroy the Wild One, that you had to force him back through the portal and close it" Yamaki began. Takato shifted in his seat.

"I don't remember what happened after…Guilmon…" Takato paused, looking uneasy. "Henry told me that I had gone into shock" he finished. Yamaki chose his words carefully before continuing.

"I don't suppose you ever wondered why the Tamers in Cairo didn't pick up the signal, or why only Rika's D-Arc received it?" he asked. Takato slowly shook his head.

"No. My mind was occupied with…other things."

"The bio-emergence outside of Cairo is the last one we have on record. We'd like to know if that bio-emergence has anything to do with that, and if so, why. We'd like to examine Rika's D-Arc, to see if we can find any clue as to why only she received the Cairo signal. I can only assume that you have it" Yamaki requested.

"I did."

"What happened to it?"

"I buried it in the tomb a week ago. As kind of a…memorial."

"Would you be willing to retrieve it for us?" Yamaki asked carefully, knowing he was treading on dangerous ground.

"What's the point? I mean, if there haven't been any bio-emergences lately, that isn't necessarily a bad thing, right? It's what you always wanted to stop, isn't it?" Takato asked.

"We'd like to see if the Wild One you forced back through has anything to do with the lack of bio-emergences."

"What good would Rika's D-Arc do?" Takato asked. He thought back to the dream he had last night.

"Are you going to take it apart?" he asked. Renamon sensed he was getting a little pushy. Perhaps coming here was not such a good idea.

"No," Yamaki said, easing his fears.

"Just hook it up to a terminal. And yours…see if there's anything different between the two; if you'll allow us" Yamaki said. He knew this most likely would not be easy for Takato. That memorial he said he made…was like burying what had happened three months ago. Basically, he was asking the Tamer to dig everything back up.

"It's your choice, Takato. I can have a small jet ready to take you to Cairo within the hour" Yamaki said. Takato was silent as he thought it over.

"Tell me when the plane's ready" he said.

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Renamon sat at a table across from Takato in the cafeteria on the ground level of the towers. He sat silently, barely touching the small amount of food he had on his tray. He didn't seem entirely comfortable with this. As she expected, Takato was starting to change back to how he was three months ago.

"Takato…you know you don't have to do this just because Yamaki wants answers." she told him.

"I know." he replied, poking at his food with a fork.

"Then, why are you doing it? Your heart doesn't seem in this." Renamon said to him. "Even though my heart may not be in it…" Takato began, setting his fork down.

"I don't know, something just seems wrong…I can't quite put my finger on it, and Yamaki may be onto something." he said, barely above a whisper.

That was the end of their conversation. Whatever Takato wanted to do, she would be there by his side to offer her support.

Twenty minutes later, Yamaki came down to the mess hall, and informed Takato that the jet was ready. The three of them went up to the helipad, where a chopper was waiting to take them to Shinjuku Airfield. Yamaki handed Takato a state-of-the-art satellite phone, in case anything came up he thought urgent. Takato and Renamon boarded the chopper. It was a twenty-minute ride to the airfield. They arrived, and wasted no time in boarding the jet, which had already done the pre-flight check. They took off. 'Here we go again. Twice down there in a week' Takato thought to himself.

The Hypnos private jets were faster than the charter flights he had taken down there in the past – it took nearly half the time. But still, sitting in the quiet and otherwise empty passenger area, his mind drifted on various thoughts, especially what happened three months ago. Takato didn't think he'd be back there after the memorial.

'This had better be worth it' he thought to himself.

They landed in Cairo, and the two of them headed out towards the pyramid tomb. Déjà vu began to overtake Takato; good times and bad. Guilmon came here with him three months ago, but he didn't leave with him…

He drove the thoughts away; best not to dwell on them. As he knew how Renamon felt, he also preferred how he was now, compared to how he was three months ago when the two of them started out together.

A small sandstorm brewed up, and for the first time in awhile, Takato half-wished he had his goggles with him. He brought his arms up to shield his eyes, and, while hindered, still progressed towards the tomb. Because of the storm, he was closer than usual to the pyramid when he first saw the tomb through the blowing sand. He went down the entrance, out of the storm. He got down the stairs, and shook the sand from his clothes and hair.

As he made his way through the passages, memories flashed in his mind; of his last moments with Guilmon. He shook his head, trying to get something else on his mind. Just because he made the memorial didn't mean it was any easier being here. He arrived at the altar, and looked around – the signs of the battle that took place here still remained. He slowly walked up to the tile with the inscription.

TO A TAMER AND DIGIMON WHO SHALL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN

He got down on his knees. He dug his fingers around the edges of the tile until he got a good grip. He lifted the tile up, revealing the sand underneath. He carefully set the stone tile aside. He began digging through the sand. He did this for about a minute until he felt metal. He put his hands around the tin, and pulled. He didn't realize it until he had pulled it all the way out. If felt too light – way too light. Almost…empty. He quickly set it down and opened the lid. His heart dropped.

His first Guilmon drawings and Rika's D-Arc were gone.


	4. Transparency

LIFE AND DEATH

By milesprower06

Chapter 3 – Transparency

ANCIENT TOMB

4 MI. OUTSIDE CAIRO, EGYPT

7 DAYS AFTER MEMORIAL

Takato quickly replaced the tin in the hole, buried it, and restored the memorial. He ran out of the tomb back outside, where the storm had died down considerably. He got the sat phone out of the backpack and called Yamaki.

"Takato?" the Hypnos director answered.

"Yamaki. It's gone," Takato quickly said, not wasting any time.

"What?" he asked, taken off guard by what Takato had just told him.

"The items that were in the tin; my drawings of Guilmon, stats, and Rika's Digivice, they're not there" he said. Yamaki certainly wasn't expecting this, and Takato knew there wasn't anything more they could do there, so they traversed back through the desert back to the airfield outside of Cairo. During the flight back to Shinjuku, Takato went over and over in his mind what could've possibly happened to it.

"Don't worry, Takato. We'll find it" Renamon reassured him.

"What could've happened to it, though? It didn't even look like it had been disturbed. It was exactly how I left it last week." Takato said.

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Renamon didn't really know what to say to him. He seemed to be more concerned about the whereabouts of Rika's D-Arc rather than his drawings. However, she assumed that wherever they were, they were mostly likely together in the same place. But Takato did have a point – she watched him bury the tin last week and put the tile over it. She had a decent memory, and it didn't look like it had been disturbed. If anyone took it, why would they go through the trouble of placing the tin and tile back the way they found it? Surely, if they had any respect for the memorial, they'd leave it alone entirely. How would a D-Arc and a few Digimon drawings be of any use to someone who wasn't a Tamer?

The thought of her former Tamer's Digivice being in the possession of some thief angered her. Even if they knew what it was or what it did, it would do them no good, so why not just leave it alone? After her and Takato became partners, Renamon had given the Digivice to Rika's mother and grandma, seeing it as kind of a memento for them to remember her by. When Takato announced his plans to go back to the altar to make a memorial, they felt it was appropriate for her Digivice to be a part of it. Part of her wanted to be angry at Takato. If he had left the Digivice in the care of her family…

Renamon dismissed that train of thought. It wouldn't have been right to blame him. It wasn't his idea to take the Digivice as part of his memorial; her mother insisted, and he couldn't have helped what happened to it anyway.

It was late when they got back. Yamaki suggested they go get some rest, and that they'd continue another time. Definitely tired from his hike through the desert, Takato agreed, and they two of them headed home. Walking back through downtown Shinjuku, Takato was still puzzled about what had happened today. 'Who would be down in that tomb looking for trouble anyway?' he wondered. He arrived home, went up to his room, and was asleep barely a second after his head hit the pillow.

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He was in the same endless white room. He looked around. Still; nothing around, but the pillar wasn't there – it had been replaced by a larger altar. He approached it. On the altar, there was a glass case. Inside the case, there was a fist-sized rock. Takato reached for the case, and it was then he realized something was different this time around – something with him. His hand was…transparent. 'Could that mean I could reach _through_ the case?' he wondered. He was ready to test that theory. He reached towards the case, and prepared to make contact with the glass.

He didn't. His hand went right through as if there was nothing there.

'But how am I going to get the rock out?' he wondered. Wait – how did he come to that conclusion? Was getting the rock out of the case the goal here? What was the supposed 'goal' of the last time he was here? He moved his arm further into the case, and got a firm hold on the rock. Then, he saw the rock itself fade partly away, becoming transparent as he grabbed it. He blinked.

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When he opened his eyes, he was in his room. 'Hey, I wasn't done!' he thought to himself. He glanced over at the clock down on the desk. It was 4:30 AM. He spent the next half-hour puzzled over why he woke up early. But did he wake up from that dream 'early'? Maybe the transparent rock was the point. But what did it mean? Was it connected at all to the last one?

Then, for some reason, his mind drifted to the dream he had about Rika, when he had first become a Tamer. She and Renamon were facing off against a Lynxmon. After he had tackled her, Rika used a Speed card, Renamon slid out from under him and jumped up, almost right next to Takato as he was suspended in the air.

Then she had glanced at him.

_'How did she see me?'_ Takato thought to himself.

So many questions…no answers.

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Renamon wished that Takato would talk about these dreams he had – even the bad ones. It was a way to get it off his chest. He never did though – and she never pushed him otherwise; if Takato wanted to keep it to himself, she would allow him to do so, and forcing him to talk about it certainly wasn't going to do any good.

But that didn't help things…just like it didn't before…

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MATSUKI BAKERY / RESIDENCE

3 MONTHS BEFORE MEMORIAL

It had only been a day since Takato had accepted her offer. It was 12:30 AM. Takato sat on the floor of his room, with a blanket draped around his shoulders. Renamon came in the room with a steaming cup of tea. He had just woken up from another nightmare – and according to what his parents had told her while she was downstairs getting the tea, it had sounded like one of the worst ones yet.

Tears pricked the corners of his eyes as he accepted the cup from Renamon. She knelt down next to him as he sipped from it. "What am I gonna do, Renamon?" he asked his new partner, his voice almost hoarse. "How am I going to get them to stop?" he asked.

The intricacies of the mind were beyond Renamon's knowledge. How could she help? Then, she realized – she didn't need to be a psychologist; she needed to be a friend.

"You could talk to me about it" Renamon said softly. Takato closed his eyes briefly, as tears ran down his cheeks. He opened them, and took a sip from the cup he held in his shivering hands. "I…I can't" he told her. "Takato, keeping it inside won't help. It'll only hurt you in the long run" she advised. He continued crying. "I can't even think about it without…" he got chocked up in his words. "How can I talk about it?" he asked. He took another sip of tea in an effort to soothe his sore throat.

Renamon put an arm around him. "Now's not the time to be strong" she said to him, as tears continued to stream down his face. Takato remained silent, thought for a few moments, after which he shook his head, stood up, set the teacup on his desk, and got back in bed. "What's to say? I'm losing them again and again…" he said, laying down, drawing up the covers around him, and turned towards the wall, crying softly.

Renamon said no more. She didn't think it was right, but it was his choice. She wasn't going to force anything out of him – it would've done no good. She walked over to the wall switch and turned off the light. She walked back over to his bed, and gently placed a hand on his shuddering shoulder. "If you ever want to talk, just know that I'm here" she said, and faded from view.

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MATSUKI BAKERY / RESIDENCE

8 DAYS AFTER MEMORIAL

Renamon glanced up at Takato, as he shifted in bed. She glanced at the clock – 4:45 AM. His traumatic nightmares were being replaced by puzzling ones, 'weird' was how he put it, but still he wouldn't talk about them. Eventually, everything he was keeping inside was going to collapse, and leave him emotionally ruined. Maybe not in a few weeks, or months, or even years, but it _would_ happen. Renamon didn't want that. It was beginning to deeply trouble her.

Three months ago when she became his partner, she was afraid she would not be able to help him the way Rika did. She would be willing to try her very best though. But if he wouldn't talk, how could she ever hope to help him? She began to see that her initial fears were starting to be realized.

"Don't feel that it is your burden alone to bear, Takato" she said from the corner. She believed he heard her, but if he did, he offered no reply.

Renamon needed some advice.


	5. One and the Same

LIFE AND DEATH

By milesprower06

Chapter 4 – One and the Same

Henry Wong woke up to a rapping on his window. He glanced at the clock on his nightstand.

5:03 AM

It reminded him of the morning after the first Deva attack that Takato called him and woke him up to see if he wanted to go patrolling around the city. But it wasn't this early. Who was at his window, and what did they want this early? Terriermon was only slightly disturbed, but kept on sleeping. Henry wasn't surprised; the mouthy rabbit could sleep through near anything. He had swung his legs out of bed by the time he saw Renamon's silhouette against the adjacent streetlight.

He slid the window open. "Renamon" he said, a bit surprised.

"Sorry I woke you, Henry, but I would like to talk to you if you don't mind." the vixen Digimon told him. "Sure. Come on in" he said. Renamon somersaulted through the window, and landed with barely a sound.

"Just wait here a minute. I'll be right back" Henry told her, and left to go to the kitchen. He figured Renamon was probably here for advice, like last time. If so, he was going to need to wake up a bit. He returned several minutes later with a cup of tea. He sipped at it, and sat down at his desk.

"So what's on your mind?" he asked Renamon.

"Takato" Renamon replied.

Henry paused at the mention of his friend. They really hadn't kept in touch nearly as often as they used to…not since Guilmon and Rika died. In fact, the last he heard from him was last week, when they went back down to Egypt for that memorial. They didn't even see much of each other when they were at school. Takato had opted to keeping to himself more often since he lost his partner. It was a change Henry wasn't comfortable with, and at times, he wondered why he had accepted it.

"What about him?"

"He's beginning to worry me. He… he won't talk to me."

"About his nightmares?"

"That, and about what happened in general. Rika's Digivice and his drawings are missing from the memorial. I know it's bothering him…that…and everything else that's happened to him, too. I just know that if he keeps it all inside, it's only going to hurt him. But I don't want to push him. Forcing him to talk wouldn't help, would it?"

Henry considered this.

"Well, no, not if you go and interrogate him about it. But does he know that _you_ want to talk?" the blue-haired Tamer asked.

"Well, I believe so. I've told him that if he ever wants to talk, I'd be there to listen."

"That's where you're going wrong, Renamon. If you're saying it like that, you're basically telling him that the door is unlocked if he wants to open it and go through. But he doesn't know what's on the other side of that door, because you haven't told him. Your partnership has to work both ways. Tell him how you feel – that you want to talk with him about it, not just listen."

"So, open the door, and show him what's on the other side"

"That's another way of putting it, yes."

"But wouldn't it still be uncomfortable for him?"

Henry took another sip at his tea.

"When you're dealing with something like this, it's never going to be completely comfortable. I've spent many nights in bed wondering if there's anything I could do to help Takato. It's hard when I'm not seeing much of him. You're right – forcing him to talk, or spend more time with friends, wouldn't do any good. I wouldn't even know if that's what he really wants. Perhaps it is what he wants, and he's just waiting for us to say something to him. There's no way to be sure. But even the more gentle, subtle approaches aren't comfortable, either. Not for him, and not for you, either. He's not the only one who lost someone. And, to tell you the truth, Renamon, he may not be the only one keeping it inside."

Very rarely did Renamon let her emotions show in her face, but Henry could tell that he had struck a nerve.

------------------------------------------

Renamon reflected on what was just said. Henry was absolutely right. She had never voiced her thoughts and feelings about what happened to Rika – or Guilmon. How could she expect Takato to open up and talk if she wasn't willing to do the same?

"You okay, Renamon?" Henry asked.

"Now I know what I've been doing wrong" she said softly, but there was shock and realization in her voice. She closed her eyes briefly.

"Thank you, Henry" she said, nodding at him, then making a quick exit through the window she had come in.

----------------------------------------

MATSUKI BAKERY / RESIDENCE

8 DAYS AFTER MEMORIAL

Takato slowly came to as the Sunday morning sun broke through his window. He looked at the clock. 7:15 AM. He sat up and jumped down, rather than the traditional method via the ladder. The floor responded with a thud from the impact of his heels. This jolted Renamon from her state of rest. He noticed he disturbed her. "Sorry" he said.

Being Sunday morning, the bakery opened later than usual; this gave the Matsuki family a chance to have breakfast together. Takato went downstairs and helped his mom prepare the meal.

"So what were you up to yesterday?" she asked, when the meal was finished and they had sat down; Renamon had also joined them.

"Yamaki called me. He wanted to see if we could figure out why the bio-emergences had stopped" Takato replied to his mom.

"I don't see why he would want to find out. You don't hear anyone complaining about it. It's gotten rather peaceful around here."

"I agree, but I suppose it's his job to at least find out why they've stopped. It's not normal. But yeah, I don't mind that it's gotten quiet around here, either." Takato replied. He didn't mention Egypt or that his memorial had been disturbed somehow.

After breakfast, he and Renamon went back up to his room. He slid open the patio door to let some fresh air in. He got under his bed, and dug out a large tin of modify cards. He opened it, and inside sat a small banded deck of his chosen modify cards, and also hundreds of spares, most of them Rika's. After her funeral, her mother and grandmother said it would be best to give them to him for safekeeping. He undid the rubber band around his previous modify deck, and began sorting through the others. This somewhat surprised Renamon. He hadn't touched his cards since Guilmon died. He was at it for several hours. He did this silently, but he seemed really into it.

He wasn't expecting Yamaki to call him today, and he never did. He'd probably get in touch with him tomorrow sometime after school.

---------------------------------------------

While Takato sorted through his modify cards, Renamon reflected on what Henry had said to her early this morning. She still wasn't sure about everything. She was still trying to fully come to terms with the fact that she had been keeping everything inside just as Takato had.

OUTSIDE MATSUKI BAKERY / RESIDENCE

9 DAYS AFTER MEMORIAL

1:35 AM

Renamon sat on the roof of the Matsuki Bakery. She gazed at the starry night as she continued to look inside herself.

She looked back to what she thought her expectations were when she first became Takato's partner. He was so different than Rika. In terms of personality, Takato was much more imaginative. His parents said he used to draw a lot, but he really hadn't taken to that since he lost Guilmon. In terms of fighting and the use of Modify Cards, Rika used the tried-and-true tactics, while Takato was more freestyle, but that's not what really mattered.

Not in this instance.

She first offered to become Takato's partner because she thought it's what Rika really would've wanted in this situation. She still believed that, but it wasn't just about resuming the usual Taming duties. In fact, it wasn't about that at all. She offered to become his partner three months ago because she knew he needed help dealing with everything that had happened. Up until now, it all seemed one-sided to her – _she_ was there to help _him_. Now she realized she needed help, as well…she needed someone just like he did. She was upset over the fact that she wanted Takato to open up, to talk to her, while she didn't realize that she was holding everything back as well. She folded her arms across her chest, and began to shiver; not because it was cold, but because of how she was starting to feel. Takato was not the only one who had lost someone very close…very dear to him…

Everything seemed to erupt inside her. She lowered her head as tears began to fall from her eyes.

She couldn't recall a time when she had last cried. But now…it just seemed right. She wanted so badly to help Takato through his losses – to continue what Rika had done for him. But she had forgotten that she had been affected by what happened too. She thought she had to be strong for Takato, so she kept everything inside, and perhaps because she did so, that was why Takato was doing the same. But on top all of that, burying all of her feelings, how Rika's death affected her – she believed that doing so was the greatest insult possible to her former Tamer. She thought back to that night…when Rika and Takato entered that food mart. He screamed out for her…he sounded so desperate. If she had arrived just a few seconds earlier…

"Oh, Rika. I'm sorry…I'm so sorry" she said through her sobs. Everything just seemed so wrong right now.

It was then that she realized…

She and Takato were fighting the same battle.


	6. Back In the Act

LIFE AND DEATH

By milesprower06

--------------------------------------------------------------------

(MP06 gets giddy over more reviews.)

Renamon: Great, here we go again.

(Jeri comes up.)

Jeri: Let him be. He isn't gonna be so happy when I get through with him.

Renamon: What did he ever do to you? Oh, right. He killed you off in the Prologue of his first story. Well, at least wait until this one's finished, alright?

Jeri: If I must... (taps foot impatiently.)

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 5 – Back In the Act

SHINJUKU JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

9 DAYS AFTER MEMORIAL

12:15 PM

Takato had found it difficult to concentrate on Ms. Asaji's lessons today. He couldn't get his mind off of Rika's missing D-Arc, and sometimes it drifted back to what happened three months ago. Ms. Asaji noticed this, and when the bell rang for lunch, she asked to see him.

He stood in front of his teacher's desk.

"I've noticed you're having trouble again, Takato. Are you alright?" she asked.

"It's nothing, Ms. Asaji. I'm fine." Takato told her. He didn't want another person worrying about him. But he couldn't fool his teacher.

"I want to believe that. Really, I do. But…" Ms. Asaji contemplated on how to put what she wanted to say.

"Sometimes these things take time, Takato. You can't rush them, no matter how badly you want to."

Takato knew what she was talking about – she had been made aware of what had happened, as well as his psychologist's appointment that he had scheduled three months ago afterwards.

"If you need to take more time off to deal with this, please, do so."

Takato recalled what Renamon had said to him when they first became partners. Now's not the time to be strong…

Takato slowly nodded, yielding to his teacher's suggestion. He walked back to his desk, dumped what was on his desk into his backpack, and walked towards the door.

"Good luck, Takato. See you in a few days." Ms. Asaji told him.

During his walk home, Takato reflected on what was troubling him. It wasn't just his losses three months ago – it was what had happened to his memorial. Those two items in the tin…they were almost sacred to him. Now they were gone without a trace. How was he ever going to find them? Who had them and why?

He neared home. He was half a block away, when out of nowhere, a white beam of light erupted out of the concrete, between him and the Matsuki Bakery. Fog quickly swallowed the entire block.

A digital field.

Takato saw the silhouette of a Digimon twice his size. It looked somewhat familiar. He grabbed his D-Arc from his pocket, and activated the analyzer.

"Gorillamon, Champion Level. Primary attack is Energy Cannon." Takato read off the holographic screen. The fog began to part, and Gorillamon came into focus. Takato recalled facing this particular Digimon earlier with Henry, before the D-Reaper crisis. "Renamon, you ready?" he asked.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She materialized directly behind Takato. Yes, she was, but was he?

"Always." she answered him.

Gorillamon took in his surroundings.

'Probably deciding what to reduce to rubble first with that cannon.' Takato thought. Indeed, the cannon that made up his right forearm was a force to be reckoned with. He began to sniff the air, then turned away from the duo and set his sights on an enticing bakery a half block away.

"Oh no you don't. Renamon!" Takato exclaimed.

That was her cue. Renamon leaped past her Tamer towards the Wild Gorillamon. Takato dug into his right pocket and retrieved his newly constructed deck of modify cards, and began to fan through them.

"Digi-Modify! Speed Activate!" he had seen Rika use the speed card on Renamon many times, and it was very handy. Renamon came between Gorillamon and the Matsuki Bakery; a gap that was closing fast, and unleashed her attack.

"Diamond Storm!"

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The flying diamonds did little to encumber the 10-foot tall beast. He roared in defiance, and began swinging at Renamon.

'As long as he doesn't start blasting away with that cannon.' Takato thought. Even with her increased agility, Gorillamon still appeared to have the upper hand. It was only a matter of time before he landed a blow – right to her chest, sending her crashing into a stacked pile of wooden pallets. Renamon was an agile fighter, but she was just a Rookie. This was, more or less, still a one-sided fight.

"Time to even the playing field" Takato said as Gorillamon closed in on the bakery.

"Digi-Modify! Digivolution Activate!"

**D-I-G-I-V-O-L-U-T-I-O-N**

"Renamon digivolve to…Kyubimon!"

The nine-tailed fox materialized where Renamon had been only moments ago.

'Now or never.' Takato thought, as he prepared to swipe another card.

"Fox Tail Inferno!" Kyubimon called out her attack, the tips of her tails going ablaze with blue flame. Takato swiped another card. Two attacks in one volley.

"Digi-Modify! Flamedramon Fire Rocket Activate!"

Flamedramon's orange fireballs joined Kyubimon's blue ones. All together, they impacted Gorillamon, square in the chest.

A Champion and an Armor attack – he didn't stand a chance. He exploded into fragments.

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Kyubimon watched as the shards of data floated up into the sky, eventually dissipating. It felt good to fight again – a way to get some of what was building up inside off her chest. She looked over at Takato, relieved at his ferocity in the battle that just took place. Perhaps, he was prepared to fight again…but then again, it was his family's home and business that was at stake just now. She stared at Takato, ten feet away. He just stood there. He looked okay, but then she took a closer look…he was shaking.

She de-digivolved to her rookie level and continued to look at her Tamer. He held his D-Arc in a vice grip.

"Takato?" she asked. She saw him fall to his knees and drop his D-Arc. She raced over to catch him before he dropped to the ground. She caught him by the shoulders. He was out cold.

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The Matsuki Bakery, which was crowded by the lunch rush only moments ago, was now empty, save for Mr. and Mrs. Matsuki, who saw the digital field erupt a few dozen feet away. Renamon came in the front entrance with Takato in her arms, and his D-Arc and cards in her hand.

"I don't think he got hit." Renamon immediately told his parents, not wanting them to panic.

"He just…passed out." she said. She took him back into the living area and set him down on the couch, where they looked him over. He had a moderate fever, but that alone didn't explain why he fell unconscious. Renamon took him up to his room and set him in bed, and waited for him to wake up.

As she sat there in his room, she thought back to how he looked just prior to collapsing. He looked like he was in borderline shock…but why? Perhaps, it was because it was his first fight since Egypt…his first without Guilmon…

She didn't want to jump to conclusions – it could be any number of reasons. She did take note of how aggressive he was with his modify cards. She had only attacked once before he slashed a Digivolve card, and even then, he didn't waste any time, using Flamedramon's Fire Rocket attack in tandem with her Champion level's Fox Tail Inferno. It was an impressive move, but he usually took time in choosing his cards - he didn't this time, but it's not like they had time; Gorillamon was closing in on the bakery. What did he have on his mind when he made that new modify deck yesterday? It almost seemed like he was ready to fight. But if he was so prepared, why did he seem so…shaken, afterwards? That brought her back to the beginning of her questions. She wasn't getting anywhere; it was starting to frustrate her; not being able to help him. It was well into the afternoon before he stirred.

"Why isn't it my burden alone to bear?" Takato asked from up in his bed. Renamon looked up. He was still lying down, but had woken up. She stood up and walked over to the bed.

"Because that's not why I'm here. I don't want to stand back and watch while we try and deal with this by ourselves." she replied.

"We?"

"You can't go through this alone. And…neither can I. No one can. I'm afraid that if we try to deal with this alone, keep it all inside…that it'll destroy us. I…never liked it when Rika shut me out. Before she became involved with everyone else, she always kept to herself. It made me uncomfortable. Back when it was all about winning…becoming stronger."

"Back when she thought Digimon were just for fighting."

"Yes."

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Takato raised his right arm slightly and looked at his wrist, or rather, at the still noticeable scar on it.

A stupid mistake – one he'd never make again. He lowered his arm back down to his side.

"Speaking of fighting…it certainly didn't take you long to get back in the act" Renamon said.

"My home was in danger," he said bluntly.

'So that was a decent part of it.' Renamon thought. Tactics did change, sometimes drastically, depending on the situation at hand.

"But that new deck you made yesterday. You haven't touched your modify cards since…"

"Yamaki wanting to investigate the lack of bio-emergences gave me a funny feeling, so I wanted to prepare…just in case we stirred something up. Anyways, I figured if we ever find out who has Rika's Digivice, they aren't going to just hand it over. It doesn't mean I wanted to fight. You never heard me complain about the lack of bio-emergences" Takato said.

Renamon still wasn't sure if Takato could continue the normal life of a Tamer…after what happened. And now, even if he did…would it be right?

She let the question fade to the back of her mind for now. She wasn't sure, but it seemed like Takato could finally be ready to talk to her…and so was she.


	7. When It Clicks

LIFE AND DEATH

By milesprower06

Chapter 6 – When It Clicks

MATSUKI BAKERY / RESIDENCE

9 DAYS AFTER MEMORIAL

4:30 PM

"It was…overwhelming." Takato began, referring to his collapse after the battle with Gorillamon.

"Not fighting for so long…then having to; so suddenly, so fast. Afterwards…I just couldn't stay up…it was such a shock. I can't accurately describe it." he said.

Renamon could somewhat relate to what Takato was saying…like the way Rika looked after Terriermon digivolved for the first time, or after they had dealt with IceDevimon – right before she claimed she hated all Digimon. Being a Tamer wasn't the easiest job in the world, and at times, it could be one of the hardest. But…what about someone in Takato's position? The way that battle went down, she might've thought Takato was one of the most collected Tamers out there, if she didn't know otherwise. But it was because he was so collected, so focused; defending his home or not; that worried her.

She thought back to Takato continuing the life of a 'Tamer', in the sense of the word, being right or not; that perhaps doing so would dishonor what had happened. No doubt Hypnos detected the bio-emergence – and it's proximity to the Matsuki Bakery. Why Yamaki hadn't called yet was odd indeed. Perhaps he assumed Takato was still in school at the time of the attack. But then whom do they think dealt with it? Whether or not they got anywhere with this bio-emergence, there was still the matter of Rika's missing D-Arc and Takato's Guilmon drawings and stats from his memorial. Could the two be connected?

"I heard you on the roof last night." Takato said to Renamon. His remark caught her off guard for a moment, but she accepted it. If she truly wanted to go someplace private…to be alone, she would have left the bakery entirely.

"Takato…I…" Renamon began, realizing this needed to come from the heart.

"I went and talked to Henry yesterday morning. Talked to him about you. You were starting to worry me, with how you were keeping everything inside. He made me see that I was approaching this the wrong way, and that you aren't the only one holding their feelings back. All this time I wanted you to talk to me but I didn't realize that I wasn't willing to open up either. I made myself believe that I needed to focus on helping you. But really, I just wasn't willing to face how it had affected me – how it made me feel." Renamon said, kneeling down, looking uneasy. Takato sat up, and climbed down the ladder, coming down next to Renamon, who was shuddering, holding her head in her paws.

"Renamon…"

"I still remember that night…I remember it like it was yesterday. You cried out for me. I knew something was wrong. If I was just a little faster…"

Renamon took her head out of her paws. Kneeling down, she was at equal height with Takato. She raised her head and looked at him. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes.

"I failed her," the kitsune said, her voice shaking.

"And now I'm failing you." she said, tears falling from her eyes, only to be caught by the fur on her cheeks.

"No." Takato said flatly. He placed his hands on Renamon's shuddering shoulders.

"You didn't fail Rika. You helped her become a better person because of your partnership. You came as fast as you could to that store. What happened, happened, and we have to accept that, sooner or later." Takato told his partner. Renamon lowered her head, still shivering. He leaned in closer to her.

"And you're not failing me, either." Takato paused, thinking of how he wanted to put what he wanted to say next.

"I always thought I could deal with this by myself, that I didn't need to depend on others, well I can't. You're right, Renamon. I need someone to help me through this and I'm so fortunate that it's you. I guess I didn't notice either that I wasn't the only one who was affected by what I – what _we_ lost." Takato said, tears pricking the corners of his eyes. Renamon looked back up at him. Takato leaned forward and embraced her, and she immediately returned it.

"I understand now why you walked away from me when I had first asked you to be my Tamer. I was so cold…emotionless, despite what had just happened. I thought that I had to be here for one purpose, to help you. I lost sight of how this had affected me, how much I missed Rika, and it's been building up inside of me all this time. I needed someone just like you did, and I didn't see that until yesterday."

"At first I thought you were up on the roof upset because I wouldn't talk to you. Now I know that I'm not the only one affected, and that I need to talk to someone about what I'm feeling, and I'm ready if you want to listen." Takato said, releasing his partner, wiping the tears from his eyes.

"Not just listen, but talk to you, too." Renamon said. This wasn't going to be easy – for either of them, but it was the first step on the healing road.

And so they began.

Takato took a seat at his desk chair.

"I never talked about my nightmares because I figured there was nothing anyone could do about them, no way to make them stop. I mean, really, what was there to say anyway? Everyone here knows what they were about. They kept what had happened fresh in my mind, so I thought I would never be able to move on. You can't control dreams, and I didn't want to let anyone else share my burden. I felt so lost."

"Try not to think of it as sharing a burden. You'd just be turning to your friends and family for support. And there's nothing wrong with that."

Takato thought back to the dream he had the first night after he got his D-Arc.

"Do you remember the first time I was over at Rika's house, and I told her that I had a dream about her?" Takato asked. Renamon remembered that afternoon, and nodded.

"She never told me the details."

"You were battling Lynxmon. She slashed a Modify card, then you jumped up, and when you did – you looked at me, didn't you?" he asked. Renamon showed a hint of surprise.

"That was you…" she said.

"You never recognized me?"

"I had to concentrate on the battle at hand. When it was over, I looked back up, and you were gone. No, I guess I didn't recognize you when you showed up in the park later with Guilmon."

"Do you think it could've been some kind of sign?"

Renamon thought about that question.

"I don't know. Dreams are hard to interpret sometimes."

"Tell me about it."

"What about these recent dreams you've been having? You said they were puzzling?" Renamon asked.

"What about them?"

"Well, perhaps they'd be less puzzling if you got another perspective."

"They were both in an endless white room. The first one, all that was there was a pillar, and my D-Arc on top of it. I reached for it, and it floated up to my hand. It was some sort of telekinesis. I angled it differently, and it went from red to blue. I did this again and again – there was a feeling deep inside that if I did it fast enough, I would get somewhere. It was faster and faster – but nothing was happening. I got frustrated, and I clenched my fist, and then…it shattered. The orb of light inside blinded me, then I woke up." Takato said.

"What did you get from it?"

"All I really got from it was that my D-Arc is red, and Rika's is blue. You're my partner now…but other than that…I didn't understand the telekinesis."

"Any others?"

Takato described the second dream in the endless white abyss, with the glass case and the rock inside it.

"You said your arm was transparent?" Renamon asked.

"Yeah. When I reached towards the case, my arm went right through. When I grabbed the rock, it went transparent too" Takato told her.

Renamon was silent for several moments, and Takato sensed she was on to something.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Well, what if…the glass case represents your memorial? Think about it – when you reached for the rock, in no way did you visually alter the case. Perhaps that's how the D-Arc and drawings were removed without disturbing the memorial." Renamon said.

"But who could've taken them out like that?" Takato asked. The only thing Renamon could think of was a Digimon.

"The only other thing that happened in that tomb was that portal opening, that Rika detected. What if a much smaller portal opened inside your buried tin, and someone on the other side took the Digivice and drawings?" Renamon suggested.

"But what good would those items be to anyone?" Takato asked.

Then it hit him. After all that thinking over and over and over, it didn't click until now.

'Oh no.' Takato thought. He was overcome with dread, and it showed. Renamon noticed this, and picked up on what Takato had realized. What if whoever had Rika's D-Arc tried to scan his-?

The thought didn't even register completely before Takato sprung out of his chair, grabbed his D-Arc, and bolted out of his room, Renamon hot on his trail. He flew down the stairs and out the side door. 'Where is he going?' Renamon thought, as she followed her Tamer out of the neighborhood towards the west side of Shinjuku.

_WEST SHINJUKU_

_3 MONTHS BEFORE D-REAPER EMERGENCE_

_Takato Matsuki walked down the alley between two buildings. He was somewhat unfamiliar with the area, so he relied on the holographic compass on his newly acquired Digivice, which hung around his neck by a simple string. His excitement grew, although parts of this little quest weren't exactly appealing. In order to progress at one point, he had to crawl through an access junction, and his right hand had met up with a rat, which caused him to jump, and hit his head on the concrete above. But it was all worth it. How couldn't it have been? Here he was, tracking down his very own, real live Digimon that he drew up and slid through his new Digivice last night. He made his way out of the crawlspace, and he approached a wide-open pit of piping and construction equipment. A water treatment plant – still under construction; and his Digivice was leading him to the center of it. He looked down. Four arrows pointed in towards the center of the screen._

_He was here._

_"This is it. He's all mine!"_

WEST SHINJUKU

9 DAYS AFTER MEMORIAL

5:40 PM

Takato ran through downtown West Shinjuku as fast as his feet would carry him. His D-Arc's compass was inactive, so he was having a lot of trouble remembering where it was he had gone all those months ago. Renamon kept up with him as best she could. If she lost him, she simply warped in closer. Takato melded through the crowd as if though there was no one else there.

His heart pounding, Takato prayed that his fears were unfounded. However, his anxiety skyrocketed when a beam of white light shot out from where it had all that time ago. At least now he knew where he had to go. Takato's mind raced. He squeezed between two buildings close together, slid down a pole, made his way through the crawlspace, where he had disturbed a rodent the last time – certainly not what he was worried about now. He climbed out the other end, and looked down on the water treatment plant – now completed, but the general area of the bio-emergence was still, for the most part, open ground. He leaned against the guardrail, as he watched as the white beam disappeared and the center exploded into a blanket of fog. After several moments, the fog slowly began to part; Takato's grip on the cold metal bar tightened. Déjà vu took hold, but it was accompanied by something else.

Fear.

Takato's eyes widened, as he saw not one silhouette, but two, emerge as the fog began to clear. Both were familiar, and in an instant, he felt his heart drop.

Guilmon was revealed in the fog, and directly behind him, stood BlackWarGreymon.


	8. The Plot Thickens

LIFE AND DEATH

By milesprower06

Chapter 7 – The Plot Thickens

_WEST SHINJUKU_

_3 MONTHS BEFORE D-REAPER EMERGENCE_

_Takato Matsuki stood at the bottom of the stairs, about to venture closer to the pulsing dimensional tear, when it exploded without warning, enveloping the area with a blanket of fog._

_"Nice entrance..." he said to himself._

_"So hard to see..." he muttered, trying to make anything out of the slowly dissipating fog._

_"Well, is it? It looks like him." Takato said hopefully, catching an outline of a raptor-like creature. The fog parted, and Takato's eyes widened, as did his smile._

_"It, __**is**__ him! Wow, he's perfect!"_

WEST SHINJUKU

9 DAYS AFTER MEMORIAL

5:55 PM

His legs wouldn't move. His hands around the handrail wouldn't loosen their grip. His eyes wouldn't take themselves off of the two figures standing around the parting fog. He was frozen, save for the fact that he was shaking.

Renamon observed Takato from just beside him. He was like this earlier today…nearly in shock. She was prepared to get him out of here if anything happened, but as long as he stayed on his feet, she would let him be.

"Guilmon…?" he said, barely a whisper. It was not hopeful anticipation in his voice, but dreadful realization. He was not seeing things – Renamon too saw the familiar red dinosaur standing directly next to BlackWarGreymon, who then noticed the two of them standing one story up on the catwalk. He did not have his Dramon Killer gauntlets on.

"So you aren't completely oblivious to what could be done with what you placed in that tin in the tomb. It was a long wait, to be sure." BlackWarGreymon spoke to the Tamer and Digimon partner directly for the first time.

Takato stood silent, and Renamon began walking down the stairs. She spoke for him, keeping an eye on him, and on the two in the center.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"All part of my plan. I had been studying the three strongest Tamers in Tokyo for some time now, knew that they were the most powerful of the several around the world. I learned how the other Digimon bio-emerged, and how that 'Hypnos' agency tracks them. I, with all the other Mega Digimon, helped the Sovereigns defend our world from the D-Reaper. But unlike everyone else, I tried to see its point of view. What the D-Reaper program tried to accomplish was impressive, but in the end, it would've ended up eventually destroying itself, leaving nothing behind but an abyss. I decided that then was the time for action. I created a portal in that underground tomb, making sure that the bio-emergence signal came only to this device." he said, holding up Rika's blue D-Arc in his right hand.

"I knew the three of you would most likely come to investigate together," he paused, glancing at Takato.

"I had planned to kill him and his Digimon, taking his Digivice as my own, and reviving his partner. Things didn't go exactly according to plan, but due to events outside my influence, this Digivice found it's way to me."

'Events outside his influence? The food mart…' Renamon thought back to what had happened to Rika. Then they had gone right to where BlackWarGreymon had first emerged and put his drawings and Rika's D-Arc in that memorial. He had played right into BlackWarGreymon's hands.

Renamon reached the bottom of the stairs, standing 15 feet from where BlackWarGreymon and Guilmon stood.

"All part of your plan? Plan for what?" Renamon asked.

"Humans and Digimon can no longer co-exist. Yes, humans created our world, but if events with the D-Reaper program taught me one thing, it's that the Digital World's connections to this place can prove disastrous. I will not let our world die due to human incompetence and thirst for destruction! The connection must be severed in order for our world to survive!"

Renamon looked at Guilmon. The red dino's pupils contracted, like when he sensed a wild Digimon.

"Guilmon…don't you recognize us?" Renamon asked.

"He would, were it not for the virus I added to his program before reviving him." BlackWarGreymon said.

"Virus?" she asked.

"A virus that makes him oblivious to his surroundings – following his master's orders and those orders alone." he said.

"But…he's…" Renamon began.

"Not anymore, I'm afraid. His Digivice is now connected to you, while his drawings were rescanned through this one" BlackWarGreymon said. Renamon took a step towards Guilmon.

"Pyro Sphere!" Guilmon's throat glowed orange, and he shot out a red ball of energy not at Renamon, but up towards Takato on the catwalk.

"Takato!" Renamon yelled, quickly phasing out of view, reappearing next to Takato, diving towards him and tackling him, knocking him out of the way just in time. Guilmon's attack continued up towards the sky, eventually burning out.

BlackWarGreymon held up his hand, and Guilmon ceased. He laughed.

"You two are obviously no threat to me. One more item is needed before my plan comes full circle. Farewell." he said, him and Guilmon fading from view.

Renamon got up off of Takato, and they both got to their feet. Takato looked like he was still in shock – which would explain why he didn't move when Guilmon launched his attack at him. Renamon completely understood this time – even she was caught off-guard; Guilmon was alive. Under BlackWarGreymon's influence, yes, but alive nonetheless. Takato slowly walked to the railing again, placing his hands on it and gazing down where Guilmon was moments ago. Renamon waited a few feet away, seeing what he would do. He did nothing; simply stared down into the clearing surrounded by pipes and valves. She walked towards him.

"Takato, come on. We can do nothing more here."

Takato didn't move, nor did he loosen his grip on the railing. She gently placed her gloved paw on his shoulder.

"We can figure out what to do back home." she said.

Ever so slowly, he let his hands leave the metal railing, and nodded, almost like he was giving into something. Renamon picked him up, and leapt up into the air, preferring this method of travel to Takato's route.

There was so much to consider now…

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Guilmon followed his master through the digital void. There was another…presence…somewhere in his mind, keeping close vigil on every move he made. Like a big brother making sure he didn't go looking for trouble.

Back when he came into physical form just minutes ago…it felt so familiar. Then the…other…urged him to attack the boy on the platform above.

The boy…he was…so familiar…

While the other discouraged him from letting his mind wander from his objective, he could not deny that there was something about that boy.

Something special…

Guilmon didn't want to dwell on it for too long, lest the other discover it and drive the thoughts away…

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MATSUKI BAKERY / RESIDENCE

9 DAYS AFTER MEMORIAL

7:30 PM

Renamon tried to approach this from a logical standpoint. What was the final piece of BlackWarGreymon's plan, and why did he need Guilmon?

The fact that Takato's former partner had been restored changed everything. He was under BlackWarGreymon's control now, but there had to be a way to get him to snap out of it. But what if the virus' hold on him was too strong?

What if they couldn't save him…?

Renamon didn't want to think about it, but she had to accept it as a possibility. How would it affect Takato? Again, it was a line of thought Renamon didn't want to approach. She would do everything in her power to help Takato get through to Guilmon.

But the other possibilities lingered in the back of her mind…

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Takato lay in bed, looking at his D-Arc. Although he didn't want to, the only thing they could do was wait.

They contacted Yamaki and Henry, told them about BlackWarGreymon's second bio-emergence, and Guilmon's restoration. Hypnos expected him to return a third time, and Yamaki said they would call them the minute they found anything. Takato continued to stare at his Digivice.

_'Oh, Guilmon. I don't know what he's done to you, boy. But I'll save you if it's the last thing I do.'_

He didn't dare think about doing anything else. He couldn't…

"Why didn't you do it?" Renamon asked.

"What?"

"Scan your drawings a second time – why didn't you?"

The question surprised Takato. Through all the grief and heartache he went through in those first few days after losing him…he didn't even consider that a possibility. Would it have worked? If not, what had BlackWarGreymon done to make it work? What would've Guilmon thought if he were brought back by his Tamer that way?

"Because he was alive." Takato finally answered.

"I don't understand what you mean."

"Guilmon's a living, breathing creature. It doesn't matter if Digimon are made up of data, so what? What about you Renamon? Do you feel like just a bunch of zeroes and ones floating out in the middle of nowhere?"

Now Renamon understood what he was saying.

"No. You have thoughts and feelings just like I do. Just like Guilmon. To treat him like some computer program – something you reboot or restart if something goes wrong – it would deny that he is a living being. It would make death meaningless, and it's our mortality that defines who we are." Takato said.

Renamon took what her Tamer said to heart, and was impressed at his outlook on what life really was. Takato continued.

"I don't know how BlackWarGreymon brought him back, and even though I don't know if I would be able to live with myself deciding to do so, I _would_ rather destroy him than leave him under BlackWarGreymon's control. Even so, if there's the smallest hope, the slightest chance that I can save him…"

"I will do whatever I can to help you." Renamon told her Tamer that he had her full support. Takato gave her a nod.

The room went black.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Renamon was on her feet in an instant. She and Takato looked out the window. Power to the entire district was out. Lightning flashed in the clouds above. Takato climbed down the ladder, and slowly made his was over to the desk. He ran his hand across the surface and found his cell phone. He picked it up, pressed a button to light up the LED, but nothing happened.

"It's dead." Takato said.

He looked down at his D-Arc, which still had power.

"If wireless devices are out, then it wasn't lightning that took out the power – it had to have been an EMP."

"What could've generated a blast like-"

A white beam shot out of the north Hypnos tower. Seconds later, the top of the tower was enveloped in fog.

"Juggernaut. He's after Yamaki's Juggernaut program!" Takato exclaimed. Everything fell into place.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

So that's that BlackWarGreymon was up to. He planned to use the digital hazard data inside Guilmon to reverse-engineer Juggernaut and completely separate the two worlds from each other.

But what would happen to the Tamer Digimon on this side? What about future Tamers whose would-be partners wouldn't be able to cross over? How would worldwide communication be affected?

These were questions Takato didn't want answered. Things weren't perfect right now, but if BlackWarGreymon succeeded, it could potentially make things much, much worse. He had to fight for the way things were now. He would not let Guilmon be used like this.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Renamon saw Takato turn towards the closet as lightning flashed again. Was the bio-emergence the cause of this lighting storm? Takato dropped to his hands and knees in front of the closet as the room went black.

_'What is he after? How does he know where to look?'_

After 10 seconds of sounds of rummaging, lightning flashed again, this time longer. Renamon was taken slightly aback by what she saw.

Takato was standing, looking at her, D-Arc in hand.

Strapped around his head, were his goggles.

"Let's go."


	9. Worth Fighting For

LIFE AND DEATH

By milesprower06

Chapter 8 – Worth Fighting For

MATSUKI BAKERY / RESIDENCE

9 DAYS AFTER MEMORIAL

7:35 PM

Takato was barely out the side door before he had a Modify Card in hand.

"Digi-Modify! Digivolution activate!"

D-I-G-I-V-O-L-U-T-I-O-N

"Renamon digivolve to…Kyubimon!"

Takato got on his Champion partner's back and with her tails illuminating the surrounding area with blue light, they made their way to downtown Shinjuku.

_'We're coming, Guilmon.'_

------------------------------------------------------------

Yamaki stood in the command center of Hypnos. He held a lithium cell-powered flashlight. All the systems had been killed in the EMP blast. The shielding on the backup generators failed as well, so it going to be some time before they got power completely restored. His cell phone was dead too, so he couldn't contact Henry or Takato. But he figured that if whatever was on the roof of the north tower gave any kind of sign it was up there, the two Tamers were already on their way.

------------------------------------------------------------

In order to avoid some of the confused crowds during the minutes before Shinjuku got some emergency power back on, Kyubimon and Takato opted to leaping from rooftop to rooftop as they closed in on Hypnos. It took about ten minutes, but they arrived at the front plaza in front of the two towers.

Takato remembered the first time he was here – when the first Deva, Mahiramon arrived, and Yamaki first used Juggernaut. This was where Growlmon had first Matrix Digivolved to his Ultimate form.

Kyubimon prepared to leap up and run up the side of the tower. She made sure Takato was holding on tight.

"Takato!" a familiar voice called.

Henry came running into the plaza from the south side of town, with Terriermon on his shoulder.

"Starting the party without us?" Terriermon asked.

"Actually, yes. Guilmon's up there, and I'm going to get him back." Takato replied.

Henry looked at him, and immediately noticed that Takato had his goggles on. He was almost used to seeing his friend without them now.

"Well, great. I can help." Henry said.

"Yeah, but not up there. Go tell Yamaki that BlackWarGreymon is after Juggernaut."

"You're not actually thinking about going up there alone, are you? You're not that crazy. Well, wait a minute. Now that I think about it…" Terriermon said.

"I'm not debating this. This is my fight, and I need you to warn Yamaki about the Juggernaut."

Henry looked his friends in the eyes. They burned with determination.

"Let's get up there, Kyubimon." Takato said.

Kyubimon crouched, and leapt skyward, running up the skyscraper towards the top.

"I don't believe this! You're letting him go up there alone?" Terriermon asked his Tamer.

"Some battles you have to fight on your own, Terriermon."

Terriermon hopped onto Henry's head, and knocked on it to make sure there was still a brain inside.

"Believe me, I understand about personal battles and all, but for crying out loud, Henry, he's gonna get himself killed!"

Henry sighed. His partner could be rude, cocky, and have an attitude at times, but he realized long ago that he did have a good head on his shoulders.

And in this case, that good head was right.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Takato's arms were wrapped around Kyubimon's neck as she neared the top of the north tower. The second after she cleared the roof, Takato let go, landing on the roof, and slashed a card while Kyubimon was still in midair.

"Digi-Modify! Matrix Digivolution activate!"

M-A-T-R-I-X

D-I-G-I-V-O-L-U-T-I-O-N

"Kyubimon digivolve to…Taomon!"

Takato now took in his surroundings. Dozens of feet above the tower, BlackWarGreymon floated, and Taomon closed in on him. Whether he was expecting company or not was anyone's guess. Takato's gaze fell down to the roof. On the glass circular top of the Juggernaut array, stood Guilmon, as if he was waiting for something.

"Guilmon!"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Guilmon heard a voice behind him…so familiar. But the other didn't regard it as familiar. It took over, making him feel threatened, and this threat needed to be dealt with.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Takato saw Guilmon turn to him. His pupils contracted, and he began to snarl. Takato took a step towards his former partner when he heard a droning sound as it slowly turned into an ever-increasing roar. He looked behind him.

Rapidmon came up into view, with Henry hanging off his right arm. He jumped off onto the roof.

"Henry! You need to go tell Yamaki about Juggernaut!"

"I told one of the guards to take care of it. I'm going to help you, whether you like it or not."

"I told you, this is my fight."

"Yeah I understand that, and here I am, in your corner next to you."

Takato figured that arguing with Henry was pointless with the situation at hand, and that he was up here for the duration. Two Ultimates against a Mega were better odds, after all. Takato drew out another card.

"Digi-Modify! Dramon Killers activate!"

WarGreymon's legendary gauntlets materialized on Taomon's hands as she came up to BlackWarGreymon's height.

Henry too slashed a card.

"Digi-Modify! Machinedramon Giga Cannon activate!"

The dual missile launcher on Rapidmon's back dissolved and was replaced with the Dark Master's super-cannons. He flew up and joined Taomon.

"No portal to knock you back into this time, pal. Guess there's only one solution."

Taomon glared at the black-armored warrior. She remembered what happened; what he had done to Takato. She couldn't help but blame him for Rika's death, too.

"You have something that belongs to me. You're going to give it back, and then I'm going to destroy you. I can never forgive you for what you have done."

"I never asked for forgiveness. The losses are acceptable for what I am about to do."

Acceptable?_ Acceptable?_ That very thought made Taomon go into a rage. She lunged at him, and the orange and black pairs of gauntlets clashed.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Takato watched Guilmon cautiously.

"It's me boy, Takato. Don't you recognize me?" he asked.

The crimson dinosaur offered no reply other than continued snarling.

"Be careful, Takato." Henry warned, but ultimately understood what Takato was trying to do, so he kept the majority of his attention on the battle overhead.

"What has he done to you, Guilmon? How can I help?" Takato asked his former companion.

Guilmon wouldn't have any of it, though. Suddenly, he charged forward at the goggle-wearing Tamer. Takato braced himself, but stood his ground.

"Rock Breaker!" Guilmon called out his physical melee attack. He brought the full force of his charge into a headbutt, which connected with the Tamer's chest, knocking him back almost a dozen feet.

Takato landed in front of Henry, who immediately helped him up.

"Are you crazy?" he asked. Takato accepted the help to his feet, but as soon as he was up, he began to walk back towards Guilmon. He wasn't sure if anything was broken, but that hit was definitely going to leave a mark at the very least.

"I have to do this." Takato said, slightly winded, as pain throbbed in his chest. Henry didn't try to stop him, as he couldn't deny that he would do the same in his position.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rapidmon held his arms steady, watching the furious duel between Taomon and BlackWarGreymon.

"You're not exactly giving me an opening, ya know!" he said sarcastically.

Taomon slashed at BlackWarGreymon again and again.

"I didn't ask you to come up here!" she yelled, her anger still very apparent.

BlackWarGreymon kicked off of one of her attacks, giving himself space to generate his primary attack.

"Terra Destroyer!"

Taomon quickly countered.

"Terra Force!"

The red and orange energy spheres impacted, exploding in a brilliant flash of light. Rapidmon used this opportunity.

"Giga Cannon!"

The twin gold beams of energy surged toward BlackWarGreymon, and due to Rapidmon's small size, the recoil from his large-scale attack sent him back considerably.

BlackWarGreymon brought the two halves of his black shield together just in time to deflect the attack. He then returned them to their original positions.

"Enough! I will finish what I have begun!" BlackWarGreymon exclaimed, reached behind him and revealed Rika's D-Arc. He pointed it to Guilmon down on the roof.

"Come out, Digital Hazard!"

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Takato steadily approached Guilmon again, when he noticed the dino's attention snap to the confrontation overhead.

"Enough! I will finish what I have begun! Come out, Digital Hazard!"

Takato's eyes widened.

_No._

Horrific memories flashed in his mind.

_'You cannot lose, I won't allow it!'_

_'I order you to Digivolve! Digivolve to Mega!!!'_

_'Guilmon was so sweet and cute and look what you did to him.'_

Takato began sprinting towards Guilmon as BlackWarGreymon pointed Rika's D-Arc at him. A blue-white beam shot out at Guilmon as Takato came between them.

"No! No, I won't let you!" he yelled, holding up his own D-Arc, willing it to somehow counter the beam coursing with dark energy.

Indeed it did. The screen on Takato's D-Arc lit up, and began to absorb the energy of the beam upon impact. Takato struggled to stay on his feet, as if his D-Arc's absorption was pushing against him, draining him of energy in some way. The glow of the screen intensified as it took in more of the beam, and it became a battle of wills. BlackWarGreymon's determination was considerable, but Takato was equally determined to protect Guilmon from the Dark Digivolution.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Whatever his master sought to do to him, the boy seemed determined to stop him. But it almost seemed like the Tamer wanted to protect him? But why?

Guilmon wanted so badly to know why the boy seemed so special to him. But when the other entered his mind, he lost all sense of reason, of right and wrong. All that mattered was what the other wanted.

Right now, the other wanted that beam to reach him…

"Pyro Sphere!"

--------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a stalemate. The beam became more and more concentrated, but Takato wasn't willing to give in. Finally, the glow of the screen exploded in a brilliant flash of light, completely disrupting the Digivolution beam, and blinding Takato and BlackWarGreymon temporarily.

As the light dimmed, Takato felt an intense, burning sensation slam into his back and knock him forward a considerable distance before skidding to a halt face down on the roof.

"Takato!" Henry yelled.

"Stay back!" Takato replied through gritted teeth. His back burned, he tasted blood, and he realized what happened. Guilmon had attacked him…

_'I'll __**never**__ give up on you, boy.'_

Despite the pain, Takato managed to roll over, just in time to see Guilmon land on top of him, pupils contracted again. Takato used his left arm to try and hold Guilmon off by his neck, and used his right arm to protect himself.

He wasn't very successful. The snarling dinosaur lunged at his face and clamped his jaw around his right forearm.

Takato yelled in pain. Henry ran to help, but was knocked away by a swipe from Guilmon's tail. Takato got his arm free and used both to try and push Guilmon off him, his right arm bleeding and throbbing in pain. The back of Guilmon's throat began to glow orange.

Tears began to well up in Takato's eyes. Not from the pain, or because he was about to meet his end from a point-blank Pyro Sphere – but because everything he had tried to help his friend had failed.

"Guilmon, please…I beg you…remember…try to remember…"

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Something…was…wrong. Guilmon felt it in his heart, and that was something the other couldn't tamper with. But how could he stop himself? He had to fight it; he had to find out find out why this boy meant so much to him. He had to fight the other presence, with all his heart.

"Guilmon, please…I beg you…remember…try to remember…" the boy pleaded. He was trying!

Then, he noticed something he hadn't before. What was around the boy's head…they were familiar…so familiar.

_'Ooooh...gog-gles'_

He saw his own reflection in the lenses.

_'You and I go well together too. Like peanut butter and bananas.'_

_'No matter how much you change, you're still you, and no matter how much I change, I hope you know, I'm still me, too.'_

"Ta…ka…to-mon?"

----------------------------------------------------------------------

"Ta…ka…to-mon?"

Takato prayed he truly heard what he thought he just heard.

"Guilmon?" he asked. The glow in his throat dimmed.

"Takatomon!" the dino exclaimed.

Tears fell from Takato's eyes as he sat up and wrapped his arms around his friend. The nickname he used to find so annoying now never sounded better. Everything was going to be alright. Now they could go home and-

He was getting ahead of himself. No, they weren't done. They were still in very real danger. Takato stood up, wiped the tears from his eyes, and looked up at the battle overhead.

"Taomon! I need Rika's Digivice!" Takato yelled up at his partner.

That's exactly what the wizard Ultimate wanted to hear, but it was evident that she was going to need a little help. Takato dug out two cards and slashed them in quick succession.

"Digimodify! Myotismon Crimson Lightning activate!"

Taomon acted quickly before BlackWarGreymon could retract the D-Arc from the attempted Dark Digivolution.

"Crimson Lightning!"

Taomon lashed out with a whip of burning, red energy at BlackWarGreymon's right-hand Dramon Killer, wrenching it off of his forearm.

"Digimodify! Devimon Touch of Evil activate!"

Now, with a much more extended grip, Taomon used the Touch of Evil to latch onto BlackWarGreymon's right wrist, and lashed at his clenched hand with the Crimson Lighting, forcing him to drop Rika's D-Arc down towards Takato.

"No!" BlackWarGreymon yelled, becoming furious.

He slashed at Taomon with his left Dramon Killer, catching her off guard. It connected, she yelled out in pain, and started to fall. She began to glow, and reverted back to Renamon, falling to the roof.

"Terra Destroyer!" BlackWarGreymon called out, generating another, smaller crimson energy sphere, and threw it one-handed at Rapidmon so fast that he couldn't evade it. He too, de-digivolved, and fell towards to the roof, where Henry caught him.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the Digivice fell towards him, Takato reached up to catch it. It fell closer…closer…

But it never hit his hand….

He brought his hand down to chest level. Rika's D-Arc was floating inches above his palm.

_'No way…'_

At this point, BlackWarGreymon had attacked Taomon and Rapidmon, causing them to de-digivolve. Takato reached into his pocket and took out his own D-Arc, and let it go, and it too floated just above his palm. Both Digivices hovered in front of him – his in his left hand, Rika's in his right.

_'Here we go…'_ he thought to himself, knowing deep in his heart that this was the key to defeating BlackWarGreymon. He began turning his palms up and down.

The two Digivices in front of him at chest level went to his direct left and right, and began to slowly rotate around him.

_Red. Blue. Red. Blue._

"How are you doing that, Takatomon?" Guilmon asked curiously.

Takato slowly picked up the pace at which he was turning his hands. The D-Arcs began leaving a small trail of white light behind them, becoming slightly longer as they sped up.

_Red blue red blue red blue._

He felt an energy spark within him, just barely noticeable, but it was there. He had almost forgotten what it felt like…it had been so long.

_Redblueredblueredblueredblue._

The trails behind the D-Arcs had become a ring of light that now completely encompassed him. It expanded up and down, and within seconds, he was enclosed within a blinding egg of light. He made fists out of both hands. The energy within surged.

"Biomerge Activate!"


	10. Trinity

LIFE AND DEATH

By milesprower06

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

mp06- Hey, all! Thanks for reading this far! We're just about done! I'd like to give a huge thanks to crazyeight for his thoughts and criticism so far, which has been very constructive and helpful!

Jeri- Yeah, well, I got some constructive criticism for ya.

mp06- Go away, Jeri. You're not even in this story.

Jeri- I'll be back by the Epilogue. I'm going to get a gun. [Walks away.

Renamon- I think you're going to regret that, mp.

mp06- Whatever. On with the story!

BTW, c8, the 'telekinesis', was just explained, in a way. It was some otherworldly force that was the key to the biomerge that just took place. Hope that helped.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 9 – Trinity

D-N-A

B-I-O-M-E-R-G-E

D-I-G-I-V-O-L-U-T-I-O-N

"Guilmon…"

"Renamon…"

_"Biomerge to…"_

Takato felt warmth wrap around him. As it drew in closer, he felt he wasn't alone. He felt Renamon's calm focus…Guilmon's fiery zeal. He felt his own heart…a heart that not too long ago, wasn't even concerned with fighting and protecting the real world…he just wanted a close friend…a Digimon companion.

Their three spirits, despite how different they were from each other, came together in perfect harmony.

"MagnaGallantmon!"

--------------------------------------------------------------

Henry's legs were frozen. He had caught Terriermon as he de-digivolved and fell towards the roof, and the next thing he knew, Takato had both the red and blue D-Arcs.

The 'egg' of light that had enveloped Takato sucked Guilmon and Renamon in, and then exploded, revealing a new creature. Henry's D-Arc projected its Digimon Analyzer hologram.

"MagnaGallantmon…" he read off of the hologram. Other than the name, the D-Arc provided no further information. No picture, type, or attacks. Henry lowered his Digivice and looked up at the shimmering being, slowly rising up to BlackWarGreymon.

It looked like Gallantmon…sort of. Instead of the pearly white armor the knight usually wore, it had more of a silver sheen to it. The cape was now ablaze with the colors of Sakuyamon's fire spirits: red, green, yellow, and blue. The shield had the ying yang symbol, and instead of the lance, MagnaGallantmon held Sakuyamon's shaman staff.

"A three-way Biomerge…incredible…" Henry said.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

At last, Renamon was one with her Tamer. After trying to help him over the last several months, everything had changed today. She had realized she was as much a part of this as he was – both of them talked to each other earlier today, discovering that they were fighting the same fight, and now here they were – fully aware of each other's desires, thoughts, and feelings.

She felt Takato – his heartache when Guilmon had been destroyed, his feelings for Rika as their relationship blossomed; the way he felt so lost when she died; their first steps on the road to recovery when she and him became partners. Also, on the very edge, there was a spark…just a hint, of what he used to be like when he first started out as a Tamer. His love of life…his smile…the spirit that was the real Gogglehead – the real Takato Matsuki.

She felt Guilmon – his willingness to protect Takato when he shoved his Tamer out of harm's way back in the tomb three months ago, his confusion when BlackWarGreymon revived him; and his determination to overcome the viral program and remember Takato. Renamon couldn't help but smile as she recalled all the goofy antics of the inexperienced duo; how they helped change Rika for the better. But it wasn't just them, not just her – it was all of them. Herself, Rika, Takato, Guilmon, Henry, and Terriermon – the six of them together had helped make all of them into better people.

She felt herself – her empathy when Takato lost his partner; her concern when Rika kissed him; her failure to reach the food mart in time; her determination to continue to help Takato recover – a determination so strong that she forgot her own feelings about what had transpired; her relief when she and Takato finally opened up to each other. Their thoughts and feelings were now a fierce energy between the three of them.

Renamon opened her eyes. She was in a blue data sphere – nearly identical to the one she was in when she and Rika biomerged to Sakuyamon. She looked to left – Guilmon was in a red sphere – above them, Takato stood within a gold sphere.

They knew what they had to do.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Henry looked on as MagnaGallantmon came up to BlackWarGreymon's height, and it looked like neither wanted to draw out this battle any longer than they had to.

BlackWarGreymon charged in a fury, leading with his remaining Dramon Killer. MagnaGallantmon brought the shield up at the last second, leaning into BlackWarGreymon's charge and shoved him away.

MagnaGallantmon's staff glowed a brilliant white. It retracted into a glowing sphere in the right palm. They brought the shield forward, and held it with both hands, as the glow transferred to it.

"Final Purification!" the triple-voice of MagnaGallantmon called out. A magnificent white beam burst out of the shield, raging towards BlackWarGreymon, who tried to bring his black shield together in front of him in time.

Too late.

The beam swallowed him like a tidal wave to a sand castle. BlackWarGreymon became a silhouette in the brilliant light, and just as quickly disappeared behind the knight's attack. The beam subsided, and BlackWarGreymon was still there, phasing in and out of cohesion. Henry had seen this before when Kyubimon had been thrown off the tower during the battle with Mahiramon. But would BlackWarGreymon be able to keep himself together?

The black-armored gave out one last cry of defiance before bursting into fragments.

Then, as if someone hit the pause button, the data fragments that had been BlackWarGreymon stopped in midair, began to glow red, and came together into a crimson red sphere where BlackWarGreymon had been a split second before.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Renamon watched, as time seemed to slow to a crawl. All within a second, BlackWarGreymon disintegrated, and his data fragments quickly gathered at a center point – a fiercely glowing red sphere, no bigger than a golf ball.

Just as fast as it had formed, the sphere dissipated, sending forward a pencil-thin crimson beam towards MagnaGallantmon at an incalculable speed.

A last ditch attack.

In the instant before it connected, Renamon saw her data sphere turn gold.

_'What-'_

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sphere unleashed a small beam that ripped through MagnaGallantmon's chest plate in an instant. The attack had lasted a few milliseconds, if that, and as all traces of the sphere and BlackWarGreymon vanished; MagnaGallantmon plummeted down to the roof.

Just before the impact, the silver knight disintegrated; in its place, were three data spheres; red, blue, and gold, all which started to melt away, revealing their occupants.

Renamon and Guilmon appeared unharmed as the data spheres disappeared completely. They, and Henry, immediately laid eyes on the third part of the Biomerge.

He lay on his side, on the roof, and he wasn't moving.


	11. Aftermath

LIFE AND DEATH

By milesprower06

Chapter 10 – Aftermath

Fear clasped onto Renamon's heart as she stared down at her unconscious Tamer on the roof. His right forearm was lightly bleeding from what looked like bite wounds. A small section of his clothing in the middle area of his back had been burnt away where Guilmon had attacked him, and weeping flesh was now visible.

The two Digivices were nowhere to be seen.

She looked over at Guilmon, standing next to her, looking even uneasier than she. Takato had gotten through to him. That's how they Biomerged together.

Henry ran up and knelt next to him. Since he was the closest thing the Tamers had to a field medic, Renamon and Guilmon gave him the room he needed to assess Takato's immediate condition.

Not wanting to move him before he had a chance to know where he was hurt, Henry carefully grabbed Takato's left hand and felt his wrist.

"I've got a pulse…but…" Henry began, keeping his fingers lightly pressed on Takato's wrist.

"It feels too slow."

He looked at the bite wounds, and where Guilmon had hit him with his Pyro Sphere.

"This looks like a serious burn."

Renamon had heard enough. "How can we help him?"

"We can't do anything here. We need to get him to a hospital, now. I don't like how slow his pulse was." Henry said.

Renamon quickly, but carefully, picked Takato up. Since she was unable to digivolve without Takato's help, and Terriermon was in no condition to do so, they couldn't get down the way they got up here, and had to take the roof access door, and went down several flights of stairs, the emergency lighting system their only guide. Since his cell phone was still dead from the EMP blast, Henry needed to get to the command center first, so he could arrange for transportation from Yamaki, rather than look around the tower for help at random.

HYPNOS NORTH TOWER

COMMAND CENTER

8:30 PM

Yamaki was keeping an eye on the few active monitors. Riley was up in the central dome, trying to reboot what systems she could. Yamaki was down in the surrounding tech support area, trying to get the generators charged again.

Henry Wong came into the command center, with Terriermon on his shoulders. Renamon was behind him, with a limp Takato in her arms. Yamaki stopped what he was doing and walked briskly over to them.

"What happened?" he asked.

"BlackWarGreymon's been dealt with. We need to get Takato to a hospital as soon as possible. Do you have any vehicles that weren't killed in the EMP blast?"

"Not in the immediate area, but I had a chopper in the air out of range of the EMP blast. I'll get communications up next and call it back. Get back up to the helipad. I'll get it here as quickly as I can."

Henry nodded, and returned the way he came, Renamon and Guilmon close behind. He sensed the vixen wanted to object, but this was the quickest way right now. They returned to the helipad and waited.

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The last thing Renamon wanted to do was just stand around and wait, but they really couldn't do anything else. She looked down at her Tamer whom she held in her arms. She wanted so desperately some response; some sign of life out of him, but there was nothing she could do. Her heart pounded impatiently, until finally, 5 minutes later, they heard the approaching sound of helicopter blades. More and more lights in the downtown area were coming back on. Half a minute later, they saw a searchlight on the nose of the chopper sweep the roof of the North Tower, and held on the group on the roof. It descended to just a half a foot off the roof, but did not land completely. Yamaki must have made clear to them the haste they had to get Takato medical attention. Renamon boarded first, followed quickly by Guilmon, Henry, and Terriermon. They didn't even strap in as the door was closed by one of the Hypnos agents, and the chopper moved away from the towers.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Henry was as concerned for Takato as Renamon. He saw MagnaGallantmon take that last hit right through the chest – but Takato was relatively unhurt in that area, save for whatever may have happened when Guilmon slammed into him with his Rock Breaker. He wasn't an expert at judging a person's medical condition, but he had the general idea of the normal rate of the human heart, and Takato's was way off – it seemed too slow to him. What had happened, and why did Renamon and Guilmon come out unharmed? Did Takato get the full force of the attack? If so, how? And why?

These were questions that were going to have to wait for the time being. It wasn't long before they got out of the affected areas and landed at the nearest hospital with a helipad. Two orderlies and a gurney were waiting. Henry allowed Renamon to exit the chopper first, and he, Terriermon, and Guilmon followed. As she set Takato gently down on the gurney, Renamon removed his goggles from around his head, and held onto them for safekeeping. The orderlies quickly wheeled the now occupied gurney over to the elevator leading down into the hospital, and rushed him down to the ER. Henry and the three anxious partners waited for the elevator to return, and went down to the waiting room. Henry went to the nearest phone and called the Matsuki bakery, letting Takato's parents know where they were, and gave them the hospital's address. His mom said they were on their way immediately.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

As the three Digimon and Tamer stood in the waiting room, Renamon's anxiety continued to build. Minutes seemed like hours. She desperately wanted a doctor to come out and tell them everything was going to be fine.

She gazed down at the pair of goggles she held in her paws. She felt Takato would want her to have them during this time. After all, she was his partner…

The thought of that word shifted her mind to the third part of the biomerge. She looked over to Guilmon, who waited almost right at the double doors to the ER. He looked uneasy; he stared at the tiled floor, and his ears hung low. Renamon got up and walked over to him.

"Guilmon, are you alright?"

The red raptor slowly shook his head, and shivered for a moment.

"I hurt him…I hurt Takato…"

"You couldn't help it."

"Are you sure? I saw him…I wanted to stop, but something inside just kept on telling me to attack. It wasn't 'til I saw myself in his goggles that I knew what I was doing was wrong."

"But what matters is that you overcame the virus, that you remembered him. Besides, what you did to him isn't why he's here."

"Then what is?"

Renamon couldn't answer that, not for sure. She was pretty confident it had something to do with BlackWarGreymon's last attack before dissipating entirely. The attack was so fast, but time had seemed to slow. She saw her data sphere turn gold right before that beam ripped through them. Did he…deliberately…?

"He wouldn't…" Renamon said aloud.

"Huh?" Guilmon asked.

Henry also wondered what Renamon was referring to.

"What is it, Renamon?"

"When we biomerged…our three data spheres were different colors. Right before that last attack, I saw my sphere turn to Takato's sphere color."

Guilmon thought back to the battle.

"I think Renamon's right. I think I saw my sphere turn gold, too."

"What are you getting at, Renamon?" Henry asked.

They were about to piece the obvious theory together when Takahiro and Mei Matsuki, Takato's parents, rushed into the waiting room.

"Is he alright?" Mei asked.

"We don't know. He's still in the ER." Henry answered Takato's almost frantic mother. Both she and Takahiro then noticed Guilmon next to Renamon.

"Guilmon!" Takahiro exclaimed.

"But, how?" Mei asked.

Apparently, Takato hadn't made his parents aware that BlackWarGreymon had revived Guilmon; probably because earlier tonight, he wasn't one hundred percent certain he could save Guilmon from BlackWarGreymon's control.

"It's complicated. We aren't sure how it happened ourselves." Renamon told them.

Then, the sound that everyone was waiting for broke the conversation again; a doctor came through the double doors from the ER. All six pairs of eyes were now on him.

"Well?" Renamon asked.

"Is my son alright?" Takahiro asked.

The doctor cleared his throat, as if considering how he wanted to put the news he had.

"Well, he's alive. But, I'm not sure how."

"What do you mean, 'not sure how'?" Mei asked.

"First, we looked his injuries over. Two of his ribs have been broken; one has a hairline fracture, and the other is completely broken. The bite wounds on his right arm weren't incredibly serious; we treated and gauzed them. The burn on his back is second-degree. Whatever hit him; if it wasn't for his clothes, it could've been a lot worse." the doctor paused for a moment, and then continued.

"Those injuries were clear. What's puzzling about his condition is…his heart rate."

Henry figured something wasn't right with his friend's pulse. "What's so puzzling?" he asked.

"It's too slow – way too slow. From a medical standpoint, the heart can't sustain the body with a rate as low as his. His lungs are exhausted as well, and we can't figure out why. We've hooked up a respirator just to make sure he keeps breathing. But…" he paused, looking uncomfortable for a moment.

"With a heart rate this low, medically speaking, he shouldn't be alive."

Not a word came from Takato's friends and family.

"But he is," the doctor quickly added. "But we can't do anything for him. We can't find a reason as to why his heart rate would be this low, so epinephrine would be too dangerous. If he's going to pull through, I'm afraid he's going to have to do it on his own. He's being transferred to the third level, room 214." the doctor said. Saying no more, he turned and walked back into the ER. The group immediately went to the elevator and pressed the button for the third floor.

When they stepped off on the third floor, they went to the receptionist's desk, and were directed to room 214.

All six of them walked into the room without a sound. They laid eyes on the unconscious Takato, dressed in a hospital gown, laying in the hospital bed; the white sheets drawn up to his chest. A respirator mask was banded around his nose and mouth, and to the right of the bed, was an active, albeit a slowly beeping heart monitor, and a wheezing respirator was in place right next to it.

They stood silently around his bed, until Mei burst into tears, breaking the silence. Her husband embraced her in an attempt to soothe her, but dealing with what happened to his son wasn't any easier for him, either.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Renamon didn't make the connection until she was standing in the room, staring at her Tamer in the bed. Other than the physical injuries from his confrontation with Guilmon, Takato was fine, save for his heart and lungs; and those two vital life-supporting systems were exhausted to the point where doctors didn't understand how he was alive.

_'The heart and lungs...in the chest, where MagnaGallantmon was hit.'_

Takato _had_ taken the hit himself. But it wasn't a physical hit – BlackWarGreymon's final blow had attacked his very life force. She stared down at the goggles that she was used to seeing around his head.

"Why?" she said aloud to her Tamer. "Why would you do such a thing? Together, we could have endured that attack."

"You don't know that." Henry said to her from the other side of the bed. "You can't, because that's not what happened. I don't know what would've happened if you took the attack as one, but I _do_ know he did what he did because he wanted to protect the two of you. That's how much he cares for you," Henry said. He looked over at Guilmon, standing next to her. "That's how much he loves you."

Renamon stood silently for several seconds, and then looked over to the foot of the bed, where she got nods from Takato's parents, as well. She looked down at her unconscious Tamer in the hospital bed. Henry was right. Renamon spoke aloud to her partner.

"The doctors say that the fact that you're alive goes against all medical reasoning. So medicine can't help you. But I know what the powers of friendship and love can do, Takato. We're all here, waiting for you to come back. We are lost without you. Come back to us."

She slowly drew the covers back several inches, and gently placed his goggles in his right hand, closing his grasp around them with her paws. She pulled up the chair that was next to the bed, and sat there next to her Tamer, waiting for him to awaken. Takahiro went and got three more chairs for himself, his wife, and Henry. Terriermon stood on Henry's shoulder and Guilmon was content to stand next to Renamon. All eyes were fixed on Takato, urging him to fight, letting him know that all the support he would ever need was right here, surrounding him.

And so they waited.


	12. Life and Death

LIFE AND DEATH

By milesprower06

Chapter 11 – Life and Death

Takato stood on a path of white light, surrounded by an abyss of darkness. He couldn't tell how far the road of light stretched on for, but as it went on, there were full length mirrors suspended on either side. They were spaced at different intervals, and Takato wasn't sure if there were more on the left or right. There didn't seem to be any pattern.

What had happened? How did he get here? The last thing he remembered…was Guilmon and Renamon biomerging with him. They had to eliminate BlackWarGreymon before he hurt anyone else. He put all of his emotion – his love, anger, heartache, and fear – into one attack. BlackWarGreymon had nearly been vaporized. Before he was completely destroyed, he used every last bit of energy into a concentrated sphere, which shot a beam out at them – so incredibly fast…

Takato wasn't going to lose anyone else. He concentrated, and overlapped Renamon and Guilmon's data spheres with his own. The last thing he felt was an unbearable heat ripping through his chest. He couldn't think, he couldn't breathe…

And now here he was.

He walked slowly forward, towards the first mirror on the left. He expected to see himself, but he didn't. Instead, he saw the playground across from his school. He heard voices coming from one of the dinosaur huts.

_"Bull's-eye, baby! DarkTyrannomon digivolves to MetalTyrannomon, which means you're history!"_

_"Oh, man, that's harsh! That's like something I would do. How'd you think of that?"_

_"What can I say? I'm the super genius."_

_"Yeah, in your dreams, doofus."_

He instantly recognized both voices – Kazu's and his own. He'd never forget that day…

_The day he received his Digivice. He had just finished a game with Kazu, and was putting his cards away when his tin fell to the ground. As his cards fluttered down, he caught his first glimpse of the metallic blue card._

_"Wow, I don't remember having a card like this."_

_Because of the mess with his cards, he was late to school and had to wait out in the hall, where he first started drawing Guilmon…_

_"Yeah, that works. Red is definitely a power color. I'll give him the strongest attack ever; no one'll expect that, especially from a rookie. I'm gonna make him even better than Agumon. I'll call it Pyro Sphere!"_

_Ms. Asaji caught him drawing, and he stayed after to write an apology for being late, but he also had to think of a name…_

_'Now what should I call him? RedDinoFiremon. Nah, that's stupid. BurningDragidLizardmon. Yeah, get real.'_

_"Hey, how 'bout…Guilmon! Cool, now that's a name!"_

_After school, he went back to the playground to check his card reader, which had 'gone mental' when he scanned the blue card with it. His card reader morphed into his Digivice, and the blue card was nowhere to be seen._

_Later that night, he got it in his head to scan his drawings and stats of Guilmon through his D-Arc. The notepad got stuck, and only when he left it alone, did the pages rip off and get scanned individually, creating a Digi Egg on his D-Arc._

_The next afternoon, the egg hatched, and Takato tracked the signal to a construction site in West Shinjuku. Back then, it seemed so unreal...seeing his own creation alive right in front of him…_

_"Hi there. My name's Takato, and I think I created you. Guilmon?"_

Okay, so he had been a bit jumpy in his first encounter, but his friendship with Guilmon grew fast, despite Rika and Renamon always wanting to fight those first few times. But still, words couldn't describe the bond that a Tamer and Digimon partner share.

He had also befriended another Tamer as his school, Henry Wong. They had helped each other through thick and thin.

He walked past more of the 'memory mirrors', glancing into each one, some longer than others.

_Like when he had lost Guilmon for the first time, although it had only been for a few hours. Rika had, more or less, helped him for the first time as Henry and him tracked Guilmon down to an anomaly in an underground flood tunnel..._

_And when a Devidramon bio-emerged a few days later. That was the first time Guilmon digivolved. He had to admit, after the battle, he felt a little intimidated by Guilmon's Champion level._

_'He's huge – he's huger than huge! I know I wanted him to digivolve, but now he's so scary, I probably look like an appetizer to him. Why didn't I draw him smaller? I'm just a big jalapeno popper with legs! At least maybe I'll give him indigestion…'_

_But the way he looked had upset his partner._

_'Don't...be...afraid..."_

_Takato looked at his partner. So what if he was big and scary – he was still Guilmon on the inside._

_"I'm so sorry. I'm not afraid of you."_

_That had been quite a night – trying to get him to de-digivolve back to his Rookie level. After several hours of running laps and a not-so-comforting dip in a pool, he took Growlmon back down to the flood tunnels. Impmon showed up later that night, and chased him out of the tunnel before Growlmon finally retaliated. He didn't go back to the tunnel, and just slept at the playground, where Terriermon found him the next day. They decided to paint him to help him blend in with the forest, but a short downpour foiled that idea, too. The rainbow afterwards sucked the additional Champion level data out of him, and he reverted back to Guilmon._

Takato continued walking down the path. All these mirrors, they weren't really mirrors; they were more like windows, windows to memories of his life as a Tamer. He walked past another one.

_The first Deva, Mahiramon, had bio-emerged on top of the north tower of Hypnos. It had beaten Kyubimon and Gargomon rather easily, and Growlmon had gone up to fight. Takato believed that it was during this battle that he developed a deeper connection with Guilmon, feeling every hit he took from the Deva. Upon wishing, he transformed one of his cards into a blue card, and Matrix Digivolved Growlmon to WarGrowlmon, who was able to defeat Mahiramon._

_"You are worthy, Tamer."_

Aside from the advice from Henry and Rika, Takato learned everything he knew about being a Tamer firsthand. After all, you learn from your mistakes. He recalled one of his biggest mistakes as he walked past the next mirror…

_He'd never forget what happened, what his emotions had done. He, Henry, and his little sister Suzie were near Zhuqiaomon's castle. He had cried out for Guilmon while Beelzemon was attacking, causing the rest of the group to be transported to their location. Leomon had stopped him from attacking a downed Kyubimon._

_"Do what you must, Beelzemon, but I will not allow you to hurt these children."_

_He'd never forget what Beelzemon had done. One strike – that's all it took._

_"How could you? I'll make you hurt...I'll make you pay!!!"_

_"You cannot lose I won't allow it! I order you to Digivolve! Digivolve to Mega!!!"_

_His anger and lust for vengeance had caused WarGrowlmon to tap into the power of Dark Digivolution and digivolve to Megidramon, the complete manifestation of the Digital Hazard within. Only with the power of the last Deva was Beelzemon able to overpower the dark dragon._

_"Guilmon was always Guilmon until I messed him up."_

He remembered how he had wanted so badly to help Guilmon fight Beelzemon, which caused them to merge together to form Gallantmon.

He continued walking, past the campaign against the D-Reaper; past all too recent memories, of a battle inside an ancient Egyptian tomb, of a robber shooting a familiar red-haired girl through the heart…

At last, the path came to an end, and there was one last mirror, directly in front of him, casting his reflection back at him.

'So, what now?' he wondered.

How was he going to get out of here? Was he asleep, unconscious…or had he been killed by BlackWarGreymon's last attack? That last possibility made him think; how would Guilmon and Renamon be affected by his death?

'I was so concerned with protecting them that I didn't care what happened to me.' he thought to himself.

"Well, maybe you should care." his reflection said to him.

"Wha-?" Takato said, surprised; his reflection taking on a life of its own.

"They care for you as much as you care for them – yet you threw yourself in the line of fire, not even thinking about what may happen to you, or how it may make them feel."

Takato said nothing, and his 'reflection' continued its tirade.

"You have no idea how rarely people get second chances. You have a second chance with Guilmon – now, what if you can't get back to him? What will he and Renamon do?"

"I…I don't know."

"You never thought of that…did you?"

"I just wanted to protect them – keep them safe!"

His reflection glared at him.

"Well, you succeeded."

Without warning, the mirror shattered, and the section of path under his feet disappeared, and Takato began to plummet into the darkness. The possibility that he had been killed by that last attack began to take hold.

_'No, no!' he screamed on the inside._

Time seemed to slow, but his heart pounded just as fast as when this fall began a split second ago. He tried in vain to reach up and take hold of the edge of the path.

_'Guilmon...Renamon...I'm so sorry...'_

He closed his eyes, prepared to accept his fate. But the sensation of falling stopped, and it felt like someone had his hand. Someone still up on the path…

Takato looked up, at who had him, and his eyes widened.

"Rika…"

The red-haired Tamer pulled Takato back up to the path as though he was as light as a feather. His feet touched the path again, and he stared at her. She glanced at where the last mirror was, and it rematerialized, and glowed white. Takato felt this was the gateway out.

"You helped me with those dreams…" Takato said, piecing the puzzle together. Rika gave a slight smile.

"You did it. You found your way. I'm glad to see you and Renamon have been taking care of each other."

"Rika…" Takato began. Not finding the right words to say, he leaned in and embraced her. For one moment, just one, he felt he could defy the finality of death. "There's no way, you can…?"

"I'm afraid things don't work like that. But I'll be here for you. Whenever you need me, just look inside. But right now, you have loved ones waiting for you to come back to them." Rika said to him. They released each other, and Takato turned to the white doorway. This was it. He turned back to look at Rika, but she was no longer there.

"I love you, Rika." he said. Knowing she was still there, in his heart.

He turned to the shimmering white doorway.

_'I'm coming, guys.'_

He walked through.


	13. Epilogue

LIFE AND DEATH

By milesprower06

Epilogue

WEST SHINJUKU HOSPITAL

9 DAYS AFTER MEMORIAL

11:45 PM

Renamon was first to notice Takato's fingers beginning to twitch, and his heart rate quickly returned to a normal pace. He slowly opened his eyes, and then, with his left hand, removed the air mask from around his face.

"Takato…"

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Takato looked around the room. His right arm throbbed, his chest ached, and his back tingled, but he barely noticed these injuries, as he looked at the faces of his loved ones sitting around him…his mom, dad, Henry, and Terriermon. Finally his gaze met Renamon and Guilmon. They were alright. They were alright…

He looked into the red dino's eyes. Guilmon fought back the tears, but Takato was unable to, and began crying as he sat up, and wrapped his arms around his partner. Not forgetting the one who helped him through the past months, Takato reached out for Renamon with his right arm, and she immediately leaned forward and embraced him, his right hand still grasping his goggles.

In the center of the embrace, a bright orb of light materialized, and shone brightly. The three of them parted, to see what it was. It drifted towards Takato, and the light dimmed, and a new D-Arc dropped down onto the bed. Tears still pricking his eyes, Takato slowly picked it up.

It had the familiar gold ring with the digital code engraved on it. But now, the two buttons at the bottom…

The left one was red. The right was blue.

He closed his eyes, and held the D-Arc to his heart, as fresh tears rolled down his cheeks. A slight smile formed on his face. He embraced his two partners again, never wanting to let them go. As they held each other, he knew deep down, everything was going to be alright.

_'Rika...thank you...for everything.'_

She was there…in his heart. She would always be there.

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SHINJUKU CEMETERY

11 DAYS AFTER MEMORIAL

1:30 PM

Takato Matsuki stood in the beautiful Shinjuku cemetery. In front of him, there was a gravestone, firmly set in the ground. Engraved on the front, was a name.

RIKA NONAKA

Takato sat down in front of the grave.

"What do I do now, Rika? I mean, is it right to keep on fighting? After everything that's happened? They're so precious to me now, Rika. I know as a Digimon Tamer, I have a duty to this world, but isn't there another way? Will there ever be another way? I know what BlackWarGreymon was trying to do was wrong, but maybe there's a way to bring some manner of peace to both worlds. Fighting isn't always the answer. These Wild Digimon must want something – they just don't cross over to cause chaos, do they? Maybe there's an answer out there…somewhere."

He looked down for a moment at his D-Arc he held in his hands.

"Maybe one day we'll find it."

MATSUKI BAKERY / RESIDENCE

11 DAYS AFTER MEMORIAL

2:15 PM

Renamon sat in Takato's room on his bed, watching Guilmon gulp down some more of the bakery's Guilmon Bread, which Takahiro had brought up fresh from the oven.

Takato had left to go somewhere a couple of hours ago, and said that he'd like to be alone for a bit. His two partners accepted this, especially since they had stuck to him like glue for the past 36 hours. Renamon understood that Takato had some things to think over. With the way their relationship was now, she knew he'd talk to them about it when the time was right. She heard someone come up the stairs, and seconds later, Takato came in. Guilmon nearly knocked him over in his enthusiasm to welcome him home. The Tamer winced slightly from his recovering ribs.

"I'm glad to see you too, boy."

Renamon, who had infinitely more restraint than Guilmon, remained on Takato's bed.

"You had a nice time?" she asked her Tamer. He nodded.

"Yeah. I just needed to go for a walk."

Takato took a seat as his desk, and began shuffling through one of the drawers. He came up with a sketchpad and an assortment of colored pencils. He set these on the desktop, picked up one of the pencils, thought for a moment, and touched it to the first sheet of paper.

Renamon and Guilmon watched silently, save for Guilmon's loud eating of his bread, as Takato drew for the first time in months. They stood at his side as he drew out a familiar, tall, yellow and white vixen, a goofy crimson raptor, and a goggle-wearing, life-loving boy. The three companions on the paper held hands, paws, and claws, as they looked on to the horizon…to a more peaceful time.

And so he drew…

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Well, that's it. I'd like to thank everyone for reading, more so to those reviewing. I certainly hope to get more thoughts from readers now that the story is up in its entirety.

I thought of and wrote a decent part of this fic while listening to 'Addicted to Chaos' by Megadeth, so I have to mention that.

I have to give one last, enormous thanks to Crazyeight, a phenomenal author in his own right, for helping me turn this into what you see here. c8, I love your criticism as much as your compliments. You are simply awesome.

I'm not sure if I'll do a sequel to this or not – the potential is certainly there, but there are times I think I've milked this plotline for all it's worth, but who knows?

For those who have enjoyed my work so far, I'd ask you to check my profile every now and then, as I have a few projects lined up, and I'm always trying to come up with new ideas. Until then, this is mp06, saying farewell for now!

Jeri- You forget about me? I said I'd be back.

mp06- Oh, nuts…(zips away).


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